The Dresden Files: Prime Evils
by Cybertramon001
Summary: The Nephalem had wondered where the Great Evils had escaped to after Malthael freed them. But soon they are dragged to a new realm. Meanwhile Harry Dresden, detective and Wizard of Chicago, meets some truly evil monsters. Monsters calling themselves the Great Evils. Now the two must join forces to quell their most dangerous threats yet. Rated T for teen, possibly might become M.
1. No longer in Sanctuary, Nephalem

**This is another story I just couldn't resist, having come up with it after a long time on Diablo 3. I know that having Nephalem in the Dresdenverse will make Harry look weak, but when your companions have killed Satan and Death, anyone would look weak. And he's a better detective than they are.**

**This is set after Reaper of Souls, and during Death Masks.**

**And for the only time, Diablo and Dresden files don't belong to me. Diablo belongs to Blizzard and Harry Dresden is the property of Jim Butcher. I'm not making any money off this.**

Chapter 1: No longer in Sanctuary, Nephalem

Li-Ming groaned as she woke up with a headache. She couldn't understand why. Korgaroth and Lyndon had been the ones having a drinking contest. She had been much more sophisticated and had started thinking of the potential uses of the aura of death they had been granted to fight Malthael with. Then she was forced to go to bed by Valla, and woke up in this dank cave. Had some manner of demon or spirit abducted her? Well no matter. She can always find out after burning whatever foul creature she found here. She stood up and smoothed out her robes, careful not to let the claws of her gauntlets catch on stray threads again. She crept through the cave she was in, careful not to make any sound. Until her head stopped throbbing, she was still vulnerable. She cursed as her boot knocked a stay rock away, making a clattering noise. Damnation! Valla and Lyndon were better at this than she was. Many times during their battles, she was surprised to see once violent demons lying dead with slit throats. As she got further in, she spotted a bright light just round the corner. And tall, humanoid shadows reaching the roof. Strange. It wasn't bright enough to be natural, but it did not have the flicker of a fire. She crept up on them, her back leaning against the rock wall. She got as close as she could, and listened.

"…still don't like this." A high, panicky voice said.

"Oh, will you just shut up?" A leathery voice replied. "We need blood to summon this damn thing, and plenty of it."

"I…I thought we were just going to hit a local hospital. You never said we were going to kill someone Greg."

"You're a fucking idiot. And I told you; call me Malthazard, The Lord of Shadows."

"Will you assholes be quiet?" This voice belonged to a woman. "It's not easy to find a demon's name at the best of times, much less with you two whining."

"Drew's the one whining. I still can't believe you let him join. I mean, what kind of name is Driz'Dead?"

"It's from Dungeons and Dragons." Drew whined. "It means 'bringer of pain."

"See? He's using a name from some stupid game."

There was a thud from a book being slammed on a rock. "Just shut up. Once we've summoned this demon, we can all go our separate ways. Drew can go back to his games, I can go back to my studies, and you can go back to controlling whores." She gave a loud exclamation. "Found it! Prepare the circle!"

"We've had it prepared for 5 fucking minutes." Greg said. Li-Ming decided this had gone on long enough. Her head had stopped aching, so now she can attack with gusto. They'll be dead before they could finish the summoning.

And if they weren't, she'll just kill the demon too.

She stepped into the room they were summoning in. As she walked into the light, she finally got a good view of it. Three people were standing around a circle of blood. They wore black cloaks that hid their features, but one was tall, another was fat, and the third was short. Over by the far wall a naked woman was dead, her wrists and neck slashed open. An old musty book was sitting on a large rock, next to a strange cylinder that the light was coming from. The summoners stared at her with surprise on their faces.

"Who the fuck are you?" The tall one asked. This must be Greg. She smiled as she summoned her focal item. A small orb of darkness manifested in one hand, amplifying her magic potential.

"I am Li-Ming. A wizard trained by the Vizjerei in the art of magic."

"Shit." The fat one whispered. Drew then. "The White Council's on to us." Li-Ming had never heard of this 'White Council'. Perhaps she was in a previously unknown part of Sanctuary. "I'm out of here." He stammered. "I'm not fighting them."

"You can't leave the circle, you fat idiot." Greg snarled. "Or else that demon's going to kill **you**."

"I'll give you one chance to leave now." Ming said. "Disobey, and I will have no issues with slaying all of you."

Stupid. While she had been threatening them, the woman had been whispering her incantation. The circle lit up with fire as something big crawled out. It looked very much like a Fallen Brute, but lankier. Still, it shouldn't pose any more trouble than they did. Drew started running as fast as his chubby legs could carry him. Greg cackled as the demon tried to rush her. He stopped cackling as she froze it solid just as it was about to reach her. With a smirk, she unleased a small wave of force. The demon shattered into a dozen pieces, ricocheting around the cavern as they flew. Greg started babbling some foreign word, but he stopped as she flicked her sword and he was slashed into chunks by her Spectral Blades. The woman shot a stream of fire at her, but she turned her skin to diamond, walking through it till she was right in her face. The spell was nowhere near damaging enough to faze her. The summoner was weeping, snot dribbling from her nose. Ming didn't go for anything special. She just slit her throat on the edge of her blade. As the diamond skin wore off, she walked over to the light-tube. It was flickering now, the light almost gone. As it went out, Ming summoned a familiar to light up the room. Under its glow, she looked at the tube. Strange buttons were on top of it, saying things like 'on' and 'off'. Perhaps it was an oil-lit lamp. They were becoming more common as monsters stalked the night. She left it behind as she set the book on fire. Best not to let that fall into the wrong hands. She followed the path Drew had taken in his flight. She was fine with him escaping. Hopefully, his fear of the Council will stop him from trying again. It wasn't too long before she reached the entrance of the cave. The world was still night, but the stars were different from the ones back home. She saw a series of lights in the distance. A town. Splendid. She could go and get some information about the land and ask where this Council was stationed. Once she met them, perhaps she could figure out how to return home. She smiled as she strolled away, her focus dissipated.

Things will be better by morning.

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Bart Thompson trembled inside his lair. He had an army of demons and they were falling to the intruders. This could not be happening. He had only noticed they were here when he lost connection to one of his sentries. He couldn't get word of how many there were, but all the explosions and thud of arrows suggested at least half-a-dozen. How could arrows be so effective? They should be breaking against the demon skin. All was quiet now. The toughest demons he had guarding him rolled their shoulders in anticipation. A rolling sound broke the silence, getting their attention. As the looked, a small spiky ball rolled into view. It just sat there doing nothing, until one of the demons stepped closer.

It didn't even have time to roar as the ball exploded.

Smoke filled the room as the demons roared. Another toppled over as a bolt jutted from its skull. Shadowy chains wrapped around their feet from another arrow as something else wrapped itself around a demon's neck. The wrapping exploded, decapitating the demon, scorching the others, and throwing Bart back against the wall. As he looked on in fear, two large spinning stars flew out of the smoke and neatly sliced two more demons in half. Another two were killed as a dozen knives embedded themselves in their bodies. The last one looked on in fear, until he was peppered with dozens of arrows fired in the span of a second. As it fell over and faded, the attackers stepped out of the smoke.

It was only one woman. She was covered in form-fitting leather, showing off her curves as she walked in stilettos. Two quivers rested on her hips next to two small crossbows. Her left arm was covered by a large piece of armour, with more covering her vital areas. Pouches seemed to be everywhere, and she had a red cape billowing behind her. A black hood covered her head, leaving only her burning eyes staring at him. In her hands, she held a massive crossbow decorated with the face and horns of a screaming demon. She didn't say a word to him. She just pointed that crossbow at his face.

He never even heard it skewer him.

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The Red Court Vampires laughed as a strange man entered the hall. He was dressed in strange red armour. It had spikes, bones and feathers on it, with a massive mask over his head. In one hand he held a green voodoo doll, while in the other he had a small curved knife. To think this fool could just wander into their domain. He will make a fantastic meal. The man looked up at them, crouching down so that his mask was most prominent.

"Evil creatures." He said in an African accent. "The spirits are angry at you. You have taken their lives, their dreams, their families and their friends. You have caused so much suffering for your own selfish desires, luring them in with false promises."

"And what will you do about it, little human?" One of the nobles taunted. "You must be stupid if you think you can take us."

The man lifted his mask so that they could see his face. He was bald, with big hoops in his ears and hanging from his jaw. His white, milky eyes shouldn't be able to see. But he looked at the noble and smiled. He shook his doll several times as he started chanting. Wailing ghosts rose up from all around, as skeletal dogs and a wall of zombies came bursting from the ground. A giant rose with them, swinging his giant fists as he roared. The vampires saw in fear that they were soon outnumbered by the dead.

"At least I am not so stupid as to bury the restless dead under my own house." He retorted as he put his mask back on. A fiery skull formed in his hand, and the dead charged as he threw it. A tornado of piranhas rose from the ground as tiny creatures swarmed them.

The vampires weren't laughing anymore. They just screamed as they were buried under a wave of undead.

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Another Red Court group weren't doing much better. They had attacked a tall woman that had wandered into their midst, but they were blown away by her strikes. She was dressed in a long red robe, with armour covering her body. A spiked headdress was attached to a helmet that hid all but her eyes. They didn't really see her after that. One moment she was tapping a vampire's pressure points, then she was leaving it to bleed out as she struck seven more from seven sides. A glowing circle formed in front of the door, and they found they could not pass through. A giant bell squashed several more, before waves of light burned the rest. Some tried to spit on her, but a glowing barrier intercepted them, burning yet more. She passed through the circle, chasing down the remaining vampires and crushing them. If they were unlucky, she would use a long staff, or some blessed claws to slash them. The survivors gave one final charge. But after ringing another bell, she spun her staff like a turbine and shredded her way through them.

It didn't take the monk long to rid the world of these monsters.

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The Red Court was _really _having a bad day. _Another_ warrior was attacking a stronghold. This one was an old man, covered in incredibly heavy armour. He was not fast, but the vampires couldn't find a single patch of skin for their drug saliva to work on. He had so many spikes on his shoulders that he was carrying several corpses on them as he walked through the halls. He threw axes at them with enough force to cleave through several in a row. Some were speared through by javelins, only to be pulled to him and thrown back at others. The walls crumbled from his might, as tremors quaked with each step. By the time he was done, nothing was left standing. Every surface was covered in blood. As he left the ruined manor, he smiled and flicked a small piece of metal at the wall behind him. With a loud groan, the entire place collapsed in on itself. The work he had done, and the monsters he had destroyed were buried in rubble.

**(-(-)-)**

The final member of this powerful group was the Crusader. Decked in blessed armour and shield, wielding a massive hook-flail, and trained in the art of Holy magic. She used the light as her weapon, burning away evil where it stood.

So naturally, she somehow ended up in another vampire manor.

The vampires wept as she smote her way through their numbers. Light rained down on them, her shield burned them as she passed. Heavenly warriors appeared and destroyed them. Her flail carved through dozen score with unimaginable ease. Lightning blasted through the roof and struck the monsters where they stood. Nothing was left of the manor by the time she left, the ground now hallowed and poison to evil.

Just another day for a Crusader.

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Li-Ming groaned in frustration. Bad enough that everyone looked at her like she was crazy. She got that enough back home at times. Bad enough that all the strange coloured lights and magic objects stopped working around her. Bad enough even that they wouldn't accept her damn coinage.

Now the local guard were questioning her.

"As I explained to the previous gentleman, I am from the city of Caldeum. And I demand to know my current relation to it, and my items back! Do you have any idea how many demons I had to slay before I came across that blade? I lost count at 75 in a single area!"

"Right." The man drawled. He was wearing a strange blue shirt that clearly lacked any kind of protection. He'd be slaughtered by monsters the moment he took a step outside. He looked at her strangely as she pointed that out earlier. "Miss Ming. I think someone has gotten too into their computer games tonight. And you have been accused of disturbing the peace. I'd calm down and stop this acting right now if I were you."

"Acting? Disturbing the peace? Sir Guard, I have merely been wandering these streets trying to find some information to aid me in returning to my home and do some work. And you really need to keep a better eye on your own town. I found three dark wizards summoning a demon not 2 hours ago. If I had not slain them for their deeds, you'd be under attack as of this moment."

That got his attention. He placed one hand on his hip, where he stored a strange black item. Ming looked at it with apprehension. It was holstered in the same area Valla kept her crossbows. It must be some strange weapon of this land. "You're admitting to murder?"

"I did not murder someone. I killed them." She was at the end of her patience. If he didn't let her go this instant, she'll show him true power. "Would you rather I let their demon and wickedness run free?"

"I'm afraid you are now under arrest for murder. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. If you attempt to resist arrest, I will have permission to open fire."

That did it. She was infuriated. "You want an open fire?" She said, her magic disassembling the manacles holding her in place. "I'll give you an open fire!" Her skin turned to diamond, causing the strange bits of metal he fired to bounce off. He ducked as she let loose a disintegration beam through the mirror. A large hole led her back to the main section, where she turned to follow the hallway the guard with her items had gone down. She used her mastery of force to bash open the doors and throw the guards that tried to attack her away. She didn't find anything until she got to the last door. Ripping it off with a wave of her hand, she entered to find her potions, her wand and her sword on a shelf. As she put them on, she wondered why they were not attacking any more. Did they realise it was smarter to avoid her? Apparently not, as one guard struck her from behind. His stick did no damage, but she still slammed into the shelves she was in front of. She turned around, drawing her sword as she did so. The guard stared at her in horror, clearly expecting his stick to do more than that. As he raised it again, she sliced it in two with her blade. The metal stick fell with a clang, leaving the guard with a little nub. He stared at it, before running back down the hallway. As she smirked, her head was filled with new images.

She was looking into a mansion, dark and cold. It was in good condition, but it felt somewhat lifeless. As she stared harder, she saw some people standing in the room. She gasped as it became clearer. Korgaroth the Barbarian. Valla the Demon Hunter. Ishtar the Monk. Naziba the Witch Doctor. And Serenity the Crusader.

Her friends.

She was brought out of her revel by a loud boom, like one of Valla's rockets. As she opened her eyes, she saw a guard in black armour, holding a stick that fired many small metal pieces at her. Fortunately, her barrier had formed and blocked every piece. As he stared his stick, she used her blade spell to slice his armour off, leaving him near starkers. She charged her teleportation spell, watching as he ran off in fear. She smiled as the portal formed around her, leaving only a vortex behind before she closed it as she left.

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Teleporting was a skill she learnt as her Nephalem blood awakened. If she pictured their home camp in her head, she could open a portal from anywhere to head back there and recuperate, whilst also emptying her bag of unwanted gear, repair damaged items, craft new gear and socket gems to boost her power. Then, she could enter the vortex again and return to the exact place she had teleported from. Incredibly useful, powerful, and it never failed.

Which was why she was surprised to step out of it at least 7 feet above the ground. She landed on something soft, before rolling onto something hard and pointy.

"Li-Ming!" Ishtar complained. "Get off me right now."

"Sorry." She apologised as she stood back up. Ishtar glared at her from the ground, her portal closing behind her. She must've just gotten here. "My portal opened up over there, for some reason."

Ishtar cursed. "You were probably too focused on something else right now to fix on the right location." Ming felt annoyed. In all their adventures this was the first time it ever happened. The others soon arrived from their own portals, which Ming was irritated to see worked perfectly. Ishtar gave her a look as everyone crowded together. They stood there for a bit before Serenity clapped her hands. They don't know her real name. According to Crusader customs, when a crusader falls their apprentice takes up their armour, the weapons, and even their name.

"This looks a lot like the manor I just came from. But I don't sense any evil in here. Let's see what everyone's been up to since we woke up in this strange land."

Everyone apart from Valla and Ming had woken up somewhere inside a manor filled with vile monsters. They promptly slaughtered every last one of them and in some cases, brought the entire place down around them. Valla had attacked a small army of lesser demons just to get to know the locals. And Ming told them about her harrowing time with the guards.

"So." Valla said. "You were seen by the town guard as a disturbance, and fought your way out of their jail."

"Well, they were still interrogating me. But yes."

"They'll be looking for you."

"Let them try. We'll be out of their hair as soon as we figure out where in Sanctuary we are. Anyone know how we do that?" Everyone offered suggestions, but they all amounted to 'don't do what Li-Ming did'. As she cursed every last one of them, Naziba finally spoke up.

"While you have been busy insulting each other, I have made contact with the local spirits. And I'm afraid we will not reach familiar land anytime soon. We are on a world, where Sanctuary never existed." They could hear a pin drop in the silence. They weren't even on Sanctuary anymore? How is that possible? "Furthermore, even if we were home it is the wrong time. At least 5 hundred years have passed since they used things we thought of as advanced." He went on to explain everything the spirits told him. Ming still felt unsure about trusting spirits. At the start of their adventures, she didn't believe they really existed. Now though, she knew enough to know they didn't _not_ exist. Once he mentioned food though, she forgot about caring. She hadn't eaten a thing since last night. Naziba pointed out the fridge, and a little box machine that could heat food. Ingenious!

"There is also something else we need to know." He continued as Ming put the food into the 'microwave' and got it working. "Due to the chaotic nature of humans, magic causes slight mishaps around technology." Ming shrieked as the machine exploded, splattering her with food as she was thrown back against the wall. "Like that."

"You call that a 'slight _mishap_'!? She stormed as she got back up. Food was caught in her armour and stained her robes. It took hours of cleaning to get the blood off it the last time. Now she didn't even know where the nearest river was. Luckily, to make up for his lapse in concentration, Naziba pointed her in the direction of the baths. As Ming stripped out of her filthy armour and robes, she had a look inside a strange metal box. Above her head, there was a spout for water to come through. A handle was at arm height, with a red line on one side and a blue one on the other. As she stepped into the box, she pulled the handle towards herself. She nearly squealed as cold water doused her. As she grabbed the handle, she twisted it somewhat to the left, the water turning scalding hot. She stepped out and had a closer look at the handle. She reached in again, and gently titled the handle to the right. As she did, the water became cooler, until it was now manageable. She sighed as she stepped back in, washing all the muck from her hair. She found a sweet smelling block on a shelf that made bubbles against her skin. It reminded her of those fancy and expensive bars of animal fat the nobles used to clean themselves with. She got one of them once as a birthday present from her mentor, Isandra. It was wonderful against her skin. As she rubbed it all over herself, she nearly squealed in delight at washing off with such a wondrous tool. She squealed for real as the water quickly alternated between scalding hot and freezing cold. She hopped out of the shower, burning herself as she stumbled and grabbed hold of a bar holding towels. As she screamed in pain, she nearly got skewered by Valla holding a crossbow.

"What happened?" She asked. "Where is the enemy?"

"There is none." Ming replied as she covered herself with a towel. "The metal cube started changing temperature with a mind of its own. As I got out of it, I burned myself on this bar here." They were interrupted as something went boom, and water flooded down the hallway. Korgaroth cursed as he got washed down along with it. They all raced to find a cupboard blown open, a metal cylinder ruptured. As Naziba looked at it, he nodded his head as a spirit told him what happened. "Ming's magic caused the water holder to change temperature and explode. I apologize. I did not realise it too was technology."

"But thank you, for testing all these new items for us." Ishtar said. Ming gave her a heated glare, blinking the suds from her eyes.

"Is there anything in this place that will not explode just by me being near it?" She wiped a hand over her face, cursing as her eyes burned. Serenity poured a jug of water over her head and offered her another towel.

"We all have access to magic." Naziba said. "Some of us more than others. Perhaps if you find a way to supress your magic, things will work for longer."

"They have a fireplace here." Korgaroth said, having come back from being flushed away. Ming turned to face him, then kept going in a circle. He had taken off all his clothes, and his manhood dangled free. All the women looked at him with varying forms of horror. "Got my clothes drying over it. Where can I find one of those towels?"

"In that cupboard there." Serenity scowled. "And could you have waited _until_ you asked before undressing? I do not want to see that." Ming grumbled as she covered her eyes. First she got arrested, then everything was breaking around her, now she saw Korgaroth's manhood. Which god did she anger to deserve this?

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Naziba was right. After crafting a spell to supress her own mana, things were far less likely to break. They were all amazed with the lighting, which could illuminate a whole room with a flick of a switch. Even Ishtar couldn't resist playing with it for a bit. They found some clothing that was in Ming's size while she washed her garments by hand. Unfortunately, Korgaroth just kept his towel on. He had a noticeable bulge, and was sitting right in front of her. When she had to bend down, she'd end up seeing 'it' again. Valla found a large pot and a tray, and was currently using them to cook some stew over another fire. Some strange white box on the ceiling started beeping until Korgaroth buried an axe into it. Ishtar meditated while Naziba conversed with the spirits outside to learn more about the world they were in. Serenity was exploring the house, finding strange things and testing them. They occasionally heard her yell as something took her by surprise. Once her clothes were clean, she placed them near the fire just when Korgaroth grabbed his items. Like a complete brute, he threw the towel over her head and dressed right there in front of them. She gagged. It smelt like he had cleaned his behind with this.

"I know you are a proud Barbarian." She said once she untangled herself from the noxious item. "And that you are used to being, well… unclean. But do you have to act like such a pig?"

"Oink, oink." He grunted, getting a bowl of stew from Valla. Ming sighed, before getting behind him to grab a bowl for her and Ishtar. After last night, she drew the short straw of waking her from her meditation next meal. She looked around for something long, then grabbed a nearby poker to prod her with. She didn't need to be gentle. It takes a lot to wake her up. She poked her once, twice. On the third poke, Ishtar reached out and snapped the poker with one hand. No one batted an eye. The first time, Kormac volunteered and got a dislocated arm for his troubles. Most of the time they would just toss rocks at her. She grabbed her bowl from where Ming had set it, not even thanking her for her troubles. Honestly. She was the heavy-hitter, but no one even thanked her that often. She knew they care about her. They've been through too much not to. But a little appreciation would be nice.

"This stew tastes funny." Ishtar said after a few mouthfuls.

"Be grateful." Valla replied. "Most of the food here is not very fresh. And you lot never complained during my last meals."

"This reminds me of the time you served us demon flesh. Was good. You're a good cook."

Ming spat out her latest mouthful, choking in surprise. Korgaroth slapped her on the back, nearly breaking her spine in two. "We had demon flesh?"

"We were out of supplies. We did not expect to pick up Kormac and Lyndon." Ming shuddered. There probably were something more edible around. Valle just really despised demons. Well, more than the rest of them. They had taken her entire family when she was a child. They were surprised as a loud bang echoed through the house. Serenity walked back in, holding a metal stick. Everyone looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I found this in a cupboard. It makes a loud noise, and lots of little holes in walls." She threw it to one side, where it went boom again. The large glass window shattered, while Naziba leaned in to take a look. They all just stared at each other for a moment.

"This world is doomed." Ishtar finally said. Naziba shook his head before entering. As he grabbed a bowl of stew, he started telling them everything he learnt. Ming couldn't believe it. She got her journal so she could make some documentations of this new world. They would have to create some protection from magic, but think of all the potential.

They were in the land of America, where people could go from famous and wealthy, to poor and forgotten within days. To the world at large, things such as demons, magic, angels and ghosts were all make-believe. Anyone who claimed otherwise was seen as insane and deranged, as Ming learnt before. They had mention of Anu and Tathamet, but they went by the names God and Satan. At the beginning, God made all things in seven days. His angels went around bringing fortune and light to all. But one angel, Lucifer, wanted to rule instead. He gathered together like-minded angels and led them in a coup against God. But God was all-knowing. He smote Lucifer and his allies, casting them down into Hell. Lucifer became Satan, God's greatest enemy. Anything He made, Satan would destroy. When God made the first humans, he gave them paradise. All they had to do was not eat from the tree of knowledge. But Satan tricked Eve into eating an apple, who then convinced Adam to do the same. Angered, God cast them out of Eden, and they were forced to live in an evil world.

"I do so love the fact that apparently knowledge and women are the root of all evil." She said sarcastically. All the women in the room agreed with her. They had cast down the Prime Evils. No one could call them servants of Satan. "Well this is all incredible, really. But it doesn't explain why we ended up here. Or how."

A strange black rectangle on the wall lit up. The room was filled with noise as a moving picture appeared on the rectangle. Korgaroth threw his axe at the picture, but Serenity intercepted it with her shield. In the picture, there were 5 men sitting on chairs. The picture flickered, but they could still see the men clearly.

One was a short blond man in a black outfit, with a white undershirt peeking through. His smile was nearly blinding. Next to him was a broad man with black hair. He too had a weird robe, but his was silver in colour. Sitting next to _him_ was a very tall man. Only Korgaroth was as tall as him. But unlike the barbarian, the man was very skinny, like a pole. He wore a black cloak that only reached his knees at the front, with stubble over his chin.

He was next to a fatter man with a bald head. Everyone was laughing at something he said. Finally, a priest sat next to him, his dark skin making his white collar stand out even more. The picture changed to show just the tall, fat and short one. The short man was saying something.

"An-an-and beside him-hi-hi-him, H-h-harry Dresden. Dresden. Dresden. Dresden. Chicago-go-go-go's only professional wiz-wiz-wizard." The picture repeated itself a second time before bursting into smoke. Valla threw the rest of the stew over it, leaving sparks arcing from the box.

"Well that answers your question Ming." Serenity said as she passed her robes to her. Ming ducked behind a long chair to change her clothes. As she did so, Naziba was talking again.

"People wearing armour are very strange in this world. The spirits say that we can wear long coats to hide it, but we can't wear our helmets or weapons." Everyone groaned, but dutifully put their extra weapons away. Valle kept her small crossbows, since they could fold up and be unnoticeable, while Korgaroth was able to hide his throwing axes. Once Ming was dressed, she threw her sword into her pack. Serenity went through the house until she found large billowing cloaks. Several looked as though she had just stitched them together on the spot. But they managed to cover most of their armour easily. They rearranged items until they were as armed as they could without compromising their disguise. Once they were done, Ming went to grab her lean armour.

And walked right into a large case, bruising her shins badly.

"Damnation!" She yelled, hopping on one foot and rubbing her injured leg. As she hopped over to a chair, Korgaroth opened the case.

"It is our stash." He confirmed, showing them all the items they had stored in it over their long adventures. It was a remnant of past adventurers. It had been first used by Prince Aidan and his allies during their fight to free the Skeleton King from Diablo. Then Ming's mentor Isandra and _her_ allies used it for their quest to stop Baal and Mephisto from corrupting Sanctuary forever. But surely it wasn't _that_ solid.

"Good." Valle said. "We can store our unneeded items in there." Korgaroth nodded, before lifting onto his shoulder and moving out of the way. Naziba finally ate his stew, now gone cold. He frowned a bit as he tasted it.

"This reminds me of when you served us demon stew." He said.

**(-(-)-)**

"6 tickets to Chicago." Korgaroth said to the coach driver. The man looked at him as though he was insane. But he grunted and held out his hand. Earlier, they had found a store that was still open and traded some of their coins for the coinage of this world. They seemed to use paper for the larger amounts, which actually would save some room in their bags. They stomped their way to the back of the very long coach, taking a seat each as the doors closed on their own and the coach moved without horses. According to the spirits, the mechanical horses were now _inside_ the coach. Ingenious. Everyone went into a meditative state, with Korgaroth and Valle seemingly asleep. According to the merchant, Chicago was a great distance away. For their time, it would take a week to arrive. On this, they would be there by tomorrow evening.

Ming smiled as she got out her journal. Placing her inkwell on the nearby ledge, she curled up and continued to write about the new things of this land.

When they get back home, the other magi would be jealous of her.

**There's the first chapter. I really enjoy killing the Red Court after what they did to Susan in Grave Peril. So I thought it'd be funny having them get slaughtered by the Nephalem. Valla and Li Ming are the only 'canon' names for the Nephalem, as they were used for characters in 'Diablo 3: Heroes Rise, Darkness Fall'. At the end of their stories, they mention how they were going to look for the Fallen Star in New Tristram, making them the player Demon Hunter and Wizard. Naziba I got from the Diablo wiki, where it is used to address the Witch Doctor. My Witch Doctor is the same one mentioned in the book, who tried to stop their ritualistic killing, and was reported leaving to find the Fallen Star. Korgaroth, Ishtar and Serenity are all original characters. Yes, I know Serenity is probably not a real Crusader name, but I didn't know what else to call her. So Serenity it is then.**

**Later on in the story, we'll have a few chapters to see how the group changed from ragtag misfits into a real group of warriors. Updates are probably going to be slower, as I'm also working on a few other stories too.**


	2. Out of Your League

**To any fans reading this story, sorry for the wait. I've been busy with other things, and this story didn't quite grab me like my other stories have. It might be a little while till we get into the good stuff, because later on I really want to show how my Nephalem got together, and changed from a group that hated each other, to one that would die for each other.**

Chapter 2: Out of Your League

I groaned as I helped carry Mort down the stairs to wait for an ambulance. Christ, even with Father Vincent helping him, Morty still weighed a ton. Maybe he should focus on some time at the gym instead of with spirits. As I walked along, I could hear some arguing. Probably my fault. But having all that gear break down because of me sent a good message to Ortega about his duel. As I got closer, the arguing stopped with a thud. I looked carefully to see a lady with blond hair place a guy against the wall. He looked unconscious. She was with 5 other people, all wearing long coats. Some looked like they were made from towels. The shortest one, a pretty Asian lady at about 5 feet 12, looked over and tugged her larger companion's arm while pointing at me.

Ah crap. Looks like even more people wanting to talk to me.

"Greetings, Wizard Dresden." The Asian lady said. "We are glad we managed to find you. I am Li-Ming."

"Nice to meet you Miss Ming." I wasn't really trying to be polite, but I just get that way with women. My chivalrous side wouldn't let me be rude. "I'd love to stay and chat, but Mort here is a bit on the heavy side, so…"

Her very large friend snorted. This guy was as tall as me, and ripped like you wouldn't believe. And his grey hair had me putting him at about 60, maybe 70. "I'll carry him." He said with a deep voice, plucking Mort from between us like a bag of shopping. "Where shall I place him?"

"Down by the ambulance." I pointed. The man searched until a dark-skinned man pointed at the right vehicle. That got me suspicious. Sure, you get regular people who are too drugged up or stupid to know things. But something told me these people were not from around here.

At least, not from Earth.

"And I've kinda already got an appointment." I kept going. "I don't usually take on more than one unless I can do them all together."

"That is quite alright." Li-Ming said. "We're not entirely sure what we need of you yet."

"I see. You just wanted to check if I'm available."

She shook her head. "Last night, a…Television started playing your interview with a 'Larry'. From what that man there told us before passing out mysteriously, the interview happened today."

"Perhaps it was a message from God that you were meant to be here today." Father Vincent joined in. "Regardless, I'm afraid that I have pressing issues with Mr. Dresden tonight. But you could try his office tomorrow." He gently, but firmly pushed me onwards. As I looked back, the group were talking amongst themselves, giving me quick glances. Except for the tall woman. She just kept staring at me with dark eyes that seemed to glow. It wasn't the stare of people to people. It was more like a hawk, watching its prey.

I shuddered. She was someone to watch out for. They all were.

* * *

"Well this is a bust." Ishtar said, but she still followed the group as they went the way the wizard had gone with the priest.

"It is not a bust." Li-Ming countered, leading the group. "We just didn't try hard enough. We have to sell the idea of helping us, and we can't do that without knowing what we're here for."

"Perhaps we could deal with the priest." Korgaroth mentioned. "The wizard cannot help him if he is 'occupied'."

"I refuse to attack a holy man without a justifiable reason." Serenity said with a final tone. "Perhaps if we help him on this mission, he will be more likely to help us."

"Or maybe, we could do something about the bandits attacking him." Ming interrupted, pointing out the men using 'guns' on Dresden. He was currently crouched over the priest as 'bullets' shattered the glass on the coaches around him. Ming dissipated her suppressor and her magic came flooding back. She created a Time-dilution field around Dresden, who looked up at a snail's pace. Ming ran into the bubble and used a wave of force to send the bullets back at the bandits. They crouched as their own ammunition sparked around them.

But it was all a distraction to let her teammates get closer.

One shrieked a high-pitch scream as Korgaroth charged him, an axe in hand. To Korgaroth it was a tiny thing, more suited for throwing than fighting. But to someone who hadn't seen a battle axe in his life, it was big enough to fear. His scream cut out as the axe split his head in two. Two more bandits charged in, but one was killed with a precision bolt to the head. Poor fool never saw Valla coming. The other was surprised by Ishtar appearing before him and hitting hard enough that his head exploded. The time bubble faded, letting Dresden and his friend get back up. He stared at them in amazement.

"Stars and stones." He whispered. He seemed to nearly get jolted when Ming took his hand. Through it, she could sense his power. It wasn't as high as hers, but many of the Magi she knew would get a run for their money from him. "Stars and stones." He cried out, shaking his hand. "Who the hell are you people?"

"A party of good Samaritans." Ming replied. Korgaroth walked over, having wiped his axe on the bandit's jacket. "And we are willing to help you."

"Dresden." The priest whispered, his face gone pale with fear. "I'm not willing to hire on such an unruly group of killers."

"But you _are_ paying me to find your lost property. And if we've gotten attacked already, then I might need them as hired help."

"Money will not be necessary." Ming assured them. Anything that could help them work with Dresden was very useful. "But we will need a place to stay. I'm afraid we do not have dwellings in this city."

Dresden looked at her with a calculating expression. "I might know a place. Just let me find out what my case actually is first."

* * *

I shook my head as I drove along. Sitting next to me was Li-Ming, all smiles considering she had more power than I could dream of. She didn't look all that scary, but I was still nervous about sitting next to the equivalent of a magical nuke. In the back were her companions Valla and Serenity. Valla was the lady I caught staring at me earlier. She had long black hair and actual glowing eyes. I noticed her putting away a small, handheld crossbow and the guy with an arrow right in the forehead. She was a damn good shot. Serenity didn't look any tougher. Hell, with her face and hair, she seemed as much a cheerleader as Murphy. But if she was in this kind of group, then she had to be tougher than she looked. The last three members were driving another car behind us. Well, I say driving. It seemed more like nearly crashing. I doubt any of these guys knew how to drive at all.

And all this on top of the job. A group called the Churchmice. They had stolen the freaking shroud of Turin, the very cloth Jesus Christ was supposedly buried in. Their leader had been killed and deliberately left in plain sight so that people would track them down to Chicago. Something wasn't right.

I sighed in relief as I pulled in at Saint Mary of the Angels. It was a massive monument to God the size of a city block. They'll have enough room for Ming and her friends. The stolen car behind me promptly crashed into the wall. The building didn't suffer any damage. The car, however, was totalled. The three other people crawled out of the wreckage looking perfectly fine.

"For my first personal coach-ride, that was terrible." The tall, white-haired lady said. Her name was Ishtar, and she was some kind of monk or something. The big fellow, Korgaroth, smashed his way out and belted the dark-skinned guy over the head.

"You said you had learnt how to drive that thing." He growled.

"I had learnt." Naziba explained as he rubbed his head. "But would you know how to fire an arrow if Valla merely told you? It is the same with coach driving."

"Save the arguments till we're inside." Valla said. Something about her scared me. She seemed to radiate hatred of something. But I was worried that she'd kill me if I asked. Everyone shut up (shutted-up? shut-upped?), and we knocked on the door. Not long afterwards, Father Forthill opened the door.

"Ah Harry." He said, catching a look of all my new friends. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Hey Father." I replied. I always felt better seeing him. "These people here want to get my help in something they don't even know about. But they also need somewhere to stay, and I figured this would be a good place. I don't think they'd fit in well elsewhere."

Forthill nodded. "I was actually about to call you." He said, leading us inside. "Three travellers arrived this morning, saying they were from another land and looking for their companions. Normally I wouldn't bother you about this, but I'm certain the woman is a practitioner."

I noticed that everyone gave each other a look. Interesting. Did they know these people, perhaps? It can't be a coincidence that so many people from another land just happen to arrive in Chicago at the same time. As we entered the prayer hall, I saw a man in full plate armour praying at the front. As I watched him, Serenity walked past me.

"Seeing a devout man pray is a wonderful sight, isn't it Kormac?" At her words, he looked up. He was a dark-haired man with a weathered face. I instantly thought of Michael, if he had been fighting nearly non-stop. He smiled as he hugged her, armour clanging as her robe fell off. Underneath it, she had this unbelievably ornate armour that seemed covered in gold. A small flail hung down from her hip with sickles attached to a chain. As they looked at each other, a shout interrupted them.

"Kormac!" Another young lady with blond hair called out while dragging a man in a longcoat. "I caught Lyndon trying to break into the church's wine cellar. What should we…?" She gasped as she spotted us, dropping Lyndon to the ground. As she ran past, I turned to see that the others were also wearing armour. Korgaroth's was massive, built like a monster truck. Naziba was also covered by red armour, but his was lithe. Except for a large mask that he pulled out of a bag far too small for it. With Ishtar, I could now truly believe she was a serious warrior-monk. Valla had bright-red armour with winged shoulders, nearly hidden behind a long red cape. Li-Ming was wearing a fancy white robe, her shoulder covered in large spikes. One hand was covered in a clawed gauntlet, and she held them stretched out as the woman ran into her arms.

"I missed you all so much." She sobbed. "We thought that Diablo had taken you, or you suffered a final revenge from Malthael."

"Don't worry Eirena." Ming consoled her. "We're completely fine. In fact, the first thing we all did was destroy several monster groups." Anything else she was going to say was lost as Eirena kissed her. Kormac looked like his world had fallen apart. Lyndon was staring in drunken disbelief.

"I must be dreaming." He said. "Kormac, hit me so I know I'm not dreaming." As he got kicked, he seemed to be laughing. "At least now we know why she thought of you as 'just a friend.'"

"Indeed." Kormac must've had pretty strong feelings for one of the girls, because he looked torn between horror and anger. "But right now you should apologise to the Holy Father."

"For what?" Lyndon asked. "You heard Eirena. I never even got into the cellar before she found me."

"She caught you trying to _lock_ the door behind you. Your breath smells like mead."

"Well if I hadn't had that last bottle, none of you lot would've noticed." Kormac just kept glaring at him, so he sighed and turned to face Father Forthill. "I am deeply sorry for drinking your wine cellar. Also, you might want to hire a better locksmith. I barely even started when the damn thing opened."

Kormac slapped him upside the head. "Do not swear in the church! You can swear as much as you want when we're outside."

Forthill smiled indulgingly. "It is quite alright, Ser Kormac. I have heard plenty of swearing in my years, and your friend is actually polite compared to other people. As for the locks, well they are the original locks installed when we opened back in 1914. And I doubted the architects back then could've considered someone attempting to steal from the church."

"As they should. Only a vile monster would steal from a holy church."

"Well what about when we looted from the Tristram Cathedral?" Lyndon asked. "Or Westmarch Cathedral? Did you not partake in stealing items of value from its chambers?"

"That was different." Kormac replied, flustered. He probably had some good excuse.

"Yes, neither was exactly holy at the time, so they don't count." Serenity said helpfully.

"Besides Lyndon, as you like to point out we're not stealing we're _looting_." Ling added.

"Very well." Lyndon said, waving his hands in surrender. "I know when I'm beaten. You both win. I promise not to steal from this church again. Unless of course, a Prime Evil corrupts this place beyond measure but I'd imagine we'd have bigger things to worry about." I yawned as I watched them chat. I should probably hit the sack, then get an early start on the investigation.

"Well, I'm off." I told them. "You guys get comfortable, have some good food, and try not to kill each other. Father Forthill has my number in case you guys find out what your mission is."

"Mr Dresden." Ling said. "Perhaps it would be best for one of us to accompany you to your domicile. You have already been attacked once this very night."

"Ling, I've been shot at more times than I can count. My wards are strong enough to deal with most creatures. I can handle myself."

"Then at least let one of us by your side if you believe you might run into trouble. Understand that you might be our only way home." Ouch. I hadn't thought about that. These guys came from a world where Mankind hasn't chased monsters into hiding. I'm not sure how these guys would react to the modern world, but I doubted it would be anything good.

"Alright, alright. Tomorrow, I'll come and get someone to help me out. But I'm a big wizard now. I can handle myself."

* * *

It wasn't much later before the phone of the church rang. Valla nearly misfired in the small room Father Forthill had given them to train in. Her arrow landed an inch from the center of the old board she was using for target practise. To the untrained eye, it was an amazing blow. But Valla knew better. She had always been drilled with the fact that an inch could mean the difference between stopping a demon, and becoming its lunch.

She still couldn't get used to this new world. While Demon Hunters used many gadgets that were advanced for the age, they never had anything like this world. To think Man created a box that could allow you to talk to someone anywhere in the world instantly. And the weapons. Those 'guns' of theirs are certainly different. They were a lot like her hand crossbows, but they used small pieces of metal fired at impossible speeds. She must learn how they do that. Maybe if her village had them, then her sister would still be…

The phone stopped ringing, as either someone answered the message, or it was lost. She started focusing on her hate, but made sure to temper it with discipline. She couldn't lose focus. She had to be mentally ready for anything. As she meditated, she could hear the creak of the stairs, and the rasp of cloth on flesh. A man's breath exhaling, and his almost silent steps grew louder, and louder, and louder…

Father Forthill knocked three times, and opened her door, only to find a crossbow pointing at his face. He paled slightly before composing himself. "I apologise, Madam Valla. But Dresden has asked for your assistance. He remembered how he agreed to call on you if he went into any dangerous situations, and believes that he may walk into some trouble."

"What is this mission of his?" Valla asked, holstering her crossbow. She didn't exactly trust Dresden yet, but she didn't think of him as an enemy. She saw that he was rather like her, standing on the brink of good and evil, always teetering over the side. Perhaps he too lost someone close to him, and always fought to keep the hatred at bay. Perhaps she will ask him about this later.

"An ally of his has an unconventional business that he needs to look at. I'm sure in your world such things are normal, but here they are rather uncommon."

"She got the idea already. "So when someone in your world asks for a wizard, there might be unholy work behind some misdeed." Forthill nodded, happy she understood. "I will need a few moments to prepare. If you still have word with Dresden send him a message telling him that he will have to do the talking for me when dealing with the humans." Though she didn't really like using that term for her fellow man, she couldn't deny that she was very different from the people of this world. Forthill nodded again, before closing the door behind him. Valla grabbed her pack and started loading it with things that would stand out too much. She doubted the explosives would be normal for here, and her shoulder guards stuck out too far. But her armour and weapons were more form-fitting than the others, short of Ming. She could keep most of her equipment on her person, just hidden under the large cloak. Perhaps over the next few days Dresden could help them blend in more. Once she was sure her cloak covered herself and she had all her extra equipment within easy reach in the bag, she walked up to the entrance of the church. She passed Ming and Naziba, who nodded to her as she went past. They already knew. As she reached the doors, she hid her emotions behind a wall of stoicism.

Perhaps this mission will help them find out their goal for being here.

* * *

"So who's the lady?" Murphy asked as I walked in with Valla right behind me. Murphy didn't look like much. She didn't look like an officer of the law, or a monster-slaying Valkyrie. With her blond hair, cute face and small height, she looked more like a cheerleader. And Valla made her look even younger. But I've seen her in action enough to know she was definitely a lot tougher than anyone else. Valla must've sensed it too, because she kept her eyes on her at all times. At least she stopped having glowing eyes all the time. It always seemed to come on when she had her hood up. I wasn't too sure. I didn't feel like having a soul gaze with her. You see, when a wizard looks into your eyes for too long, they can see your soul. All the things that make you who you are, or have affected you strongly. Sometimes they're noises, or feelings. Me, I'm more of a visual guy. The problem with soul gazes though, is that they see you back. And it stays with you forever.

I'm not too sure who'd come out worse in the end. Part of me didn't want to.

"This is a possible client." I told Murphy. "Her name's Valla, and she's not really from around here. Valla, this here is my friend Lieutenant Karrin Murphy of Special Investigations."

Valla look Murph up and down for a moment before speaking. "You are the guard captain meant to look for things this world no longer believes in. That armour will not save you from monsters." Murph gave me a 'seriously' look, and waved us on. She made sure to take us the long way around the hospital that housed the Cook County Morgue. Didn't want to blow out any important equipment with my magic.

"Guard captain? Armour? Are you some kind of creature from ages ago, when we lived in castles and stuff?"

"In a manner. I am from another world, one that is still plagued openly by demons. But everything else you described in true." We walked for a bit before she spoke again. "You seem in pain, wizard. Is it the pain of losing a loved one?" I spluttered a bit. How did she know? She didn't look warm enough to know about loved ones. Or maybe that's _why_ she was so cold. I guess I won't know until I find some time to talk to the group. I tried with Valla, but she wasn't really much for words. I gave it a couple of attempts before conceding defeat.

"My girlfriend came back to town. She was with another man." Murphy gave me a look of condolence.

"I am sorry, wizard. Sometimes it is best to find love elsewhere. But were you two still close?"

"Not really. She got turned into a half-vampire about a year ago, and I've been trying to heal her."

"I know you will be against this, but sometimes the best cure is death."

"Well I don't believe that." I said aggressively. "I'm going to find a cure for her. And after I save her, I'm going to marry her."

Valla smiled at me. It was the first bit of emotion I've seen her do. "Good. You do care for her. I respect that. But that still doesn't change the fact that if she fully turns, you _will_ have to put her down. Or the lives of many will be threatened."

"I know Susan. If she ever did turn, she'd want me to stop her." By now, we had reached the doors to the morgue. "Murphy spoke into it, and the door opened up with a buzz. I held it open for the ladies, though Murph gave me a glare. Valla didn't even react. She was already looking around the room like a hawk, identifying anything that might be a threat, or something.

I just hoped our night would be normal.

* * *

Valla frowned as they entered a room made of metal. Strange noises that _might_ charitably be called music came from thin air. Perhaps they had a device with a tiny musician inside. At a desk was a little man with scruffy black hair. He was writing on some paper, probably about things in these cabinets, and stopped to wave at our group. He got up and shook the guard lady's hand.

"Karrin." He said. Wow, you're looking nice tonight. What's the occasion?"

Municipal brass are tromping around." Guard Murphy replied. Valla wasn't familiar with guard terms, but she believed 'brass' may refer to her superiors. "So we're all supposed to wear our Sunday clothes and smile a lot."

"Bastards." The man replied in good cheer. He gave her and Dresden a glance. "You're not supposed to spend money on psychic consultants and brooding ladies either, I bet." He held out his hand to them. "You sir, must be the great Harry Dresden."

"That's what it says on my underwear." Dresden replied. That might have been some form of male humour. Laughter was uncommon at the camps in the Dreadlands. The man then complimented Dresden on his coat. A leather coat was likely this world's answers to robes.

"Harry, Valla. This here is Waldo Butters. Assistant medical examiner. Waldo, this lady is Valla, some weird old-fashioned girl from another world supposedly."

"Cool." Butters said, holding out his hand to shake. She just stared at him until he pulled back. It would be so easy to slip a knife or poison with a handshake. "Er, right. I've got to say, meeting someone from another world is pretty awesome. I mean, I know there's more out there than us, but to see it in the flesh is… cool."

"What do you mean you know?" Dresden asked. He seemed curious as to Butter's answer.

"Butters dealt with the bodies from the Velvet Room." Murphy explained to him. Dresden seemed to understand it better now. "His report said that some of the remains were human, yet not-human. His bosses stuck in a mental hospital for 3 months, and when he was let out they tried to fire him. But his lawyers said they couldn't, so instead they just knocked him into the night shift."

"But my fall from grace isn't what we are here for." Butters said. "Put on those masks over there, stay a couple of feet back, and please don't throw up on my floor." He pulled the cover off a man that had been lying on the table in the center of the room. Dresden and Murphy winced, despite their best effort, while Valla just stared at the body stoically. Once you've seen your entire village get slaughtered by demons and your sister go insane and drown, nothing else really bothers you anymore.

The man had been mutilated in a very precise and intelligent way. His entire chest was covered in a grid of fine, deep lines. The grid had been marred by a 'Y' that had been stitched together again. The question she wanted to ask about Butters' work had been answered. He examined the dead, perhaps to find out what had killed the unfortunate people. Back in Sanctuary, they didn't need to bother with that. Something killed people, and it would be clear who did it. Valla could easily identify the work of a brigand, demon, cultist, or even a Reaper now. Valla also noted that the man was missing his hands and head. She wasn't too sure about the hands, but the head could be used to identify the deceased.

"From the looks of it, the man had been worked over with very sharp claws. But there is also intelligence behind the work. This has all the workings of an attack for pleasure, or entertainment. But then again, there would be no need to take the head or hands if it was meant for fun."

"Maybe our mystery killer likes to collect things." Dresden replied.

"Could be." She admitted. "But I am curious. Can your people identify someone with their hands?"

"Oh yeah, we can do that." Butters said helpfully. "But it could be like Dresden said. Some sick bastard might've collected them as souvenirs. But I can tell you this. Those cuts weren't what killed him."

"What was it?" Dresden asked.

"Plague. Or rather, plagues. This guy's come back positive for everything I've run for. Even some stuff we've never come across before." Valla remembered several demons and undead that released foul toxins and diseases into the air and dripped them from their claws. So many things that just wouldn't add up. "And these diseases just all decided to hit him at once. Like, literally. Around 48 hours ago at max. This kind of thing is impossible." As Butters turned away, Dresden seemed to notice something. They crowded around him, spotting a small tattoo on the man's arm. It was in the shape of an eye. Seems as if the attacker missed something.

"What does this mean?" She asked as she pointed it out. Butters and Murphy looked at it strangely, while Dresden was more thoughtful.

"Looks old Egyptian, but with fewer lines." He said as he dazed at it. "Do you have something I can sketch it on?"

"Better." Butters replied as he grabbed a blocky object. He got close to the tattoo, and the box made a flash. While Valla blinked the stars from her eyes, a piece of parchment was spat out. Murphy grabbed it and waved it for a few seconds before passing it to Dresden. On the parchment was an exact drawing of the arm and the symbol. Fascinating. That device would put many painters out of work. And it would make documenting new demons easier than a panicked farmer's garbled description. Dresden studied the painting intently.

"So, guy dies from a zillion diseases all at once in about 48 hours, and then someone carves him up like a new year's dish. Then they chop off his head and hands so we can't identify him, and gets found… Where exactly?"

"Under an overpass of the expressway." Murphy replied. Valla didn't join into the discussion, merely listening to their theories. She had no idea what an 'expressway' was, or how one gets found under an 'overpass'. "He was found like this, naked and got handed it because homicide wanted a high-profile case everyone's getting hot about." The world would be so much easier if everyone didn't compete for prestige. Dresden looked at Murphy and Butters before the little healer got the message. He raised his hands in surrender, before placing his gloves and mask into a box with a red symbol on it, and then exited the room and left the three of them alone.

"Seems rather like the work of an Accursed, or perhaps a Herald of Pestilence." Valla said once Butters had left. "But they are mindless creatures, content to feast upon flesh."

"I'm pretty sure we don't have those things anyway, Valla." Dresden replied. "But you could be right about it being the work of a demon."

"Whoa. Hold on." Murphy said quickly. "You mean an _Exorcist_ demon?"

"Nope. You're thinking of the Fallen. Former angels. Different thing altogether."

"There's a difference?"

"Imagine that demons and angels are from two separate countries." Valla replied helpfully. "The Demons are always evil, and want to hurt others. But the Fallen are merely Heaven's criminals, banished to wander forever." Murphy nodded, getting the idea. "But the Fallen I've fought rarely poisoned people. They would much rather slice you."

"You? You've fought angels?"

"When I have to. But I'm professionally a Demon Hunter."

"Anyway." Dresden said as he got the conversation back on track. "Demons can do what they want when they get to our world, but they're not all that interested in us." Even the demons are different here. How charming it must be to not have Demons out to corrupt your entire race and butchering lone villages. "The Fallen are the opposite. They're _very_ interested in us. But they can't do anything without free will."

"Why?"

"Don't know. Plenty of people have theories, but no one can tell you the truth. But the only lead I've got _might_, theoretically involve the LaRouche case with Interpol."

"Right. 'Theoretically'." Valla wasn't too sure why Dresden seemed so tight-lipped, but she didn't really care. Her job was to protect him until he could help them with their 'mission', and slay monsters that threaten the world. Butters came back in, Dresden said his goodbyes, and he and Valla left them to puzzle over the body. As they went back down the corridor they came up, they found it blocked by a moving bed with a sick man in it. Dresden nearly jumped away from it, before leading her down into an alley. Her eyes instantly became alert for anything dangerous.

Alleys were popular hiding places for monsters.

* * *

"We are being watched." Valla said after a few steps, whispering it into my ear. I had noticed around the same time. I cold chill shivered down my spine, and I got a hand on my blasting rod just in case. "The old man with the cane, and the dark-skinned man with the coat." I looked back at them covertly. They didn't seem interested in us, but then Valla looked like she got where she was by being properly paranoid. She stumbled a bit, and I barely heard something go 'clink' against the ground, and we continued walking to my car. As I tried to unlock my door, I heard footsteps getting closer and heavier. I turned around, my rod already alight, to see a grizzly bear charging down at us. I hit it with a burst of fire, and I realised I was wrong. It wasn't a grizzly. Not unless Grizzlies had six legs and curling ram horns. Not unless they had two sets of eyes, one orange and one green. Not unless they suddenly got swirling glowing tattoos and slime-coated teeth. It managed to shrug off the blast, but it never saw the device Valla had planted as we walked.

So it never noticed the trap until it lost a leg.

As it stepped on the device, it exploded with razor spikes that shredded the leg like confetti. That was enough for me and Valla to move away, while she planted another device by my car. As the bear stumbled into it, the new device also exploded. But the spikes were littered all over the path, stabbing its feet and slowing it down even more. While it crawled closer to us, Valla threw aside her robe and pulled out her crossbow. She threw some kind of rune at it, and I could see weak spots as the bear lit up. She threw a dagger at its head before firing chain-trailing bolts at it, slowing it down again. At the same time as all this was going on, the two men from before were running down to meet us. But before I got ready to blast them, I noticed that they were carrying swords that glowed with a bright light. I sighed in relief. The Knights of the Cross. They were on our side. You don't get to carry a weapon that holy by being ready to cut down innocent wizards. As I turned to smile at Valla, to tell her they were friendly, I gazed right into the bear's eyes.

The Soul Gaze began almost instantly.

I'll admit, I expected something monstrous or evil in there. But instead I found a ragged man pressed against a stone wall with that strange rune on it. His arms and legs had been fused into the rock, causing him pain as his shoulders and legs were forced to take the strain of his body. He looked at me, and then laughed a Joker-ish laugh. I stepped forward, my first instinct to help him. Then the ground crumbled as a giant pair of glowing orange eyes glared at me from the cliff face. A voice like a rock concert growled at me, bowling me over more with hate than volume

_GET OUT!_

The sheer force behind that voice severed the Soul Gaze, throwing my physical body back into a pile of cardboard boxes. Valla pulled a spider from God-knows-where, and it had trapped the bear with its webbing. She rushed in close, before firing off a splintering arrow that peppered its face and vaulted back towards me. As she saw me, she quickly grabbed me and dragged me away from the beast. While she did this, I saw the two men with the swords approach it. The old man spun behind the bear, smashing several teeth out with his cane as he passed. "Ursiel!" The old man yelled. "Let him go! You have no power here!"

The bear-creature glared at him, and did the most unsettling thing. It spoke, with a smooth melodious voice that would've been impossible for any bear to make. "Shiro. Look at yourself, little fool. You are an old man. You were at the peak of your strength when we last met. You cannot defeat me now."

Shiro narrowed his eyes, holding his sword in one hand and the sheath in the other. "Did you come here to talk?"

"No. Indeed I did not." It whirled it's head towards me and Valla, apparently determined to kill me. It stopped short as Valla pulled out a large crossbow from behind her back and fired a chain with two balls at each end. The Chain wrapped around his throat and gagged him, slowing him down from the force. Then, the balls exploded. Half his face was gone, and Valla responded again with a black arrow down his exposed throat. Black tendrils writhed out of it, ripping away at his flesh until his whole head and most of his neck had gone down his throat. The bear fell over in a heap and started shrinking. It didn't take long, and then there was only a thin man dressed in rags. Without his head it was hard to tell, but I imagined he was the man from the soulgaze. Michael dropped down from overhead, looking at the body with sorrow. Then all three knights glared at Valla.

"You didn't have to do that." The Russian growled angrily. "He still could've been saved."

"He was possessed by a demon." Valla replied coolly. If she was affected by their glares, she didn't give any reaction. "He was ready and willing to kill all of us. Anyone claimed by a demon can only be stopped by death."

"And what if there was another way?" Shiro asked quietly. His anger wasn't visible, but I could tell it was there. "What if he had been ready to repent, and you took away his chance?"

"Then I will accept that. I will not stand by and watch a monster kill people. No matter how important his soul may be to someone." We all looked as the body dissolved into green goo. I would've lost it then, but I think I went past crazy when Valla and her friends showed up and Li-Ming used magic even I couldn't do. We watched as a small coin rolled by Valla's feet, and she picked it up with her gloved hands. Michael produced a cloth from somewhere and walked over to her. He looked at her with sadness.

"I can see that you have suffered greatly." He said. "But that does not mean you should be like the monsters you hunt."

"Spare me." Valla replied. "I have heard that speech many times. All Demon hunters have. 'We are powered by hatred, but we must always temper it with discipline. Or we will become mad, and be the very creatures and demons we hunt.' I do not a Templar to tell me to be wary." She placed the coin onto the cloth before holstering her weapons and walking back to my car. Michael looked at her with more sorrow.

"So, anyone going to tell me what's going on?" I asked, annoyed at everything. I was the powerful wizard. I fight monsters and win. But all I did was lie on the ground and watch as everyone else fought Ursiel. "Could someone at least tell me what that thing was?" Shiro looked at Michael and the Russian, before turning to me.

"I think it would be best if we head to the church. We need to rest, and deliver the coin to safe-keeping."

"I was already heading there. Valla and her friends are staying there. Now, will you guys answer my question? What was that?"

Michael looked at the others for a while before speaking. One of the Fallen. One of twenty-nine. And they are after you."

Oh. Hell's Bells.

**There we go. Hope you like it. I thought I'd try and show everyone's personality tonight, but I might have better luck later. And yes, I know that Eirena might not be gay, but that was what I got from her, and I thought it would be funny.**


	3. Fallen Angels and Demons

Chapter 3: Fallen Angels and Demons

The trip home was quiet. The knights were taking Michael's pickup while Valla and I followed them in the Blue Beetle. Valla didn't say anything after she killed the Fallen Angel. She seemed deep in thought, and I really didn't want to pry. I got the feeling that even her friends didn't know everything about her, and I had a long way to go before she might call me friend. Eventually, we made it to the church.

"What are your thoughts on the matter?" Valla asked me suddenly. "You seemed almost as if you saw some manner of great evil during the fight. Do you have something to say about my killing of that man?"

I thought about it for a bit before sighing. "I got pulled into a Soulgaze. Wizards can look at your very soul with it, and get an idea what kind of person you are. It happened uncontrollably for me tonight. And I saw the guy being possessed by the Fallen. I think he's better off dead than controlled by that _thing_. Why do you want to know?"

Valla glared at me for a bit before speaking. "A good friend of ours, Lea, was forced against her will to be possessed by a powerful demon. We were forced to destroy her to save all the forces of good. Seeing those knights trying to make the possessed repent got me thinking." Hell's Bells. A demon forced himself on someone? That should be impossible. Even the Fallen for all their power couldn't do anything to a person unless they gave permission for it.

But then again, Valla was from a different world. Things might be different over there.

"You wondered if perhaps you could've saved her." I finished. Valla didn't say anything. "Well, you guys have been fighting demons longer than I have. If you really thought there was no other way, then I respect your decision."

"…Thank you, Dresden." Valla said after a while, and got out of the car. As we entered the doors, we heard a lot of talking going on. Guess having a fallen angel show up kicks up the hornet's nest around here. We entered the main chamber to see everyone waiting in there and talking. And one more newcomer.

This guy seemed different to the others. I can't really put my finger on why, but he felt…older. Stronger. There was nothing unusual about him really, compared to the others. He was a bald African-American guy, wearing golden armour and a dull green cloak. Hanging at his side was a sword, but it was hidden by his body. The others were looking at him in amazement, as if he was the leader of their group. Valla actually smiled when she saw him. "Tyreal." She said as she shook his hand. The man smiled back at her.

"Hello Valla." He said. "I am glad to see you are still well. According to these Templars here, you took down a fallen angel without giving him time to repent." He nodded his head in understanding. "I agree with you." He spotted me hiding in the shadows. "And this must be the Wizard Harry Dresden. Pleasure making your acquaintance."

Well, no more skulking about now. I stepped closer to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you. You another Nephalem like these guys?"

"No, actually. I will never be able to reach such lofty power. But I am still capable of fighting the good fight."

"Father Forthill told us how they are from another world." Michael said to me. "My guess is that he is their version of a Knight of the Cross, given a holy sword by God to defend his lands from evil."

"I'm afraid not, Sir Michael. My sword is a remnant from my times as an Archangel." Everyone except for the Nephalem nearly spat their drinks out as he said that. Stars and stones, we have an Archangel here dining with us?

"But…your grace." Shiro said after he finished coughing. "Where is your grace?"

"If you mean my power, it is most likely being reborn in the High Heavens as we speak. But I get the feeling that you and I are suffering from a 'culture clash', as they call it." He cleared his throat. "For starters, I must inform you that in our realm, the being you would call 'God' is dead. Along with our version of Satan. Their remains form the Heavens and Hells, and their blood became the Angels and Demons."

"And according to Tyreal, even he doesn't know why we are here or who brought us." Ming finished saying. I'm not sure that anyone from my side even heard her. They were still staring at the ex-Archangel in their midst. I guess it wasn't every day one showed up at church, let alone give up their grace, whatever that was.

"Right then." Valla said after a while. "Do you know why we were brought here?"

Tyreal shook his head. "I asked the Angels of this realm for assistance, but they were unable to help."

"Surprise, surprise." Ming said in a weary tone.

"I **can** tell you it is because they cannot interfere with free will. As long as a human willingly allows something to happen that can hurt others or themselves, the angels can't do anything about it. But if a demon or Fallen Angel force themselves onto someone…" He trailed off, as though deep in thought.

"While you lot think about your mission, we need to talk with Dresden." Michael said after a bit of waiting. No one got up and left, which filled me with confidence. It meant they wanted to help me out. "You're looking for the Shroud." It wasn't a question.

"How did you guys know about that?" I scowled.

"Doesn't matter. But I need you to do something for me. It will be very difficult. You won't like it. And under normal circumstances I would never consider asking you."

"Name it." I said immediately. Michael is a friend. I trust him. If he told me to jump off a building I would do it because he always looks out for me. Besides, his family got endangered last time because of me. "Just name it. I owe you."

Michael nodded, before looking me in the eye. "Get out of this business Harry. Get out of town for a few days. Or stay home for a while. But just don't get involved in this stuff for a while."

"I blinked in surprise. "You… don't want my help?"

"I want your safety Harry. You're in great danger."

"You're kidding me." I replied angrily. "I can handle myself."

"Like you did tonight? Harry, if it wasn't for this woman here, you would've been…"

"What? Dead? There are enough bad guys out there with a trophy base with my name on it. One of these days one of them is bound to get lucky. What else is new?"

Michael shook his head in annoyance. "Harry, you don't understand."

"Oh, I understand alright. One more B-horror-movie reject tried to whack me. It's happened before. It'll happen again."

Shiro took over the conversation without looking up from cleaning his sword. "Ursiel was not here to kill you."

That got me to shut up. I saw the poor guy stuck with Ursiel. I saw how the Fallen Angel had chained him inside his own body. And that scared me.

"It is not uncommon for powerful Demons to possess those that stand against them." Tyreal said. "It gains them a new ally, and removes a thorn in their side."

"I don't know how it works back home, but here powerful beings can't just possess you like that. Not unless free will's involved."

"You're right Harry. But men can be tempted. And the Denarians have more to offer than most." Shiro said.

"Denarians?"

"The Order of Blackened Denarius. They have thirty silver coins, each containing a Fallen Angel. And they offer them to those that are most valuable to them. Whoever takes up a coin is tempted. Given power. And they gain more by asking. By giving up a part of themselves."

"Until they are no longer men." Serenity said quietly. Given the way Valla acted, I doubted the others would be merciful to any Fallen Angels they find.

Michael nodded. "Normally, we try to help them. To realise they are being possessed. Sometimes, we get through to them."

"Michael, I've been tempted once or twice before. I can handle it."

"No you can't. Against Denarians, few can. They know everything about you. What you want, what you desire, what are your weaknesses. Thousands of people have fallen to them, even with forewarning."

"I said I'll be fine." I growled.

"Harry. I know you're a good man. You care about others. But you have had a difficult life. You are as vulnerable as anyone else. These enemies don't want you dead. They want _you_."

"Alright, _that_ scared me a bit. Maybe it was because Michael was scared of them, and he wasn't scared by many things. Maybe it was because I will see that poor guy screaming forever inside his own mind.

Or maybe it was because I wondered if there wasn't a way to use that power without falling. If they were so powerful that thousands fell for them, what could they do for me?

"Beat the shit out of Duke Ortega, that's for sure.

On the other hand, I've got a bunch of powerful heroes at my beck and call. I'm sure they'd love to kill an evil Vampire.

I realised how tired I was. I got up from the table. "Look, the church hired me to find this shroud. I don't abandon a case like this. And I'm dam…darned tired. I need to rest, think things over.

"Michael stood up too, facing me. "Harry, I care for you. I trust you. I named my child after you. But please, stay out of this business. For my sake, if not your own."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I will have to protect you from yourself. In the Name of God, please don't make me."

"He's got us with him." Korgaroth said as he got up too. "We have killed many powerful enemies. We will kill these Denarians, and feast upon their blood."

"There you go." I replied. "Straight from the Barbarian's mouth. Now, good night." I left them all behind me.

In one corner, one missing Shroud, one thoroughly dead corpse, one dedicated and deadly Vampire warlord, three holy knights, twenty-nine Fallen Angels, a mission no-one knows about, and a partridge in a pear tree.

In the other corner, one bruised, underpaid, tired wizard about to get dumped for a guy duller than grass, a mortal angel, and six ancient warriors.

Go Team Dresden.

**(-(-)-)**

"Seriously?" Bob the skull asked me, his tone incredulous. "You met powerful warriors from another world and a Fallen Angel that helps them? What the hell did you do to get that attention atop of everything else?"

"He wasn't a Fallen Angel." I said wearily. Bob wasn't actually a skull. He was a spirit of knowledge that took up residence in the skull. He knew more about magic than most wizards have forgotten about. He's always been a real big help, once you get past his perverted nature. "He's human now, and firmly on the side of good."

"Fallen doesn't just include evil angels Harry. He gave up his grace and permanently became mortal. He willingly fell from heaven. Ergo, he's a Fallen Angel."

"Can you tell me anymore about this stuff? Maybe even about the Shroud and the Denarians."

"Can't. I mean, I literally can't. Religion and everything in it is based around faith. I'm a spirit of logic. Logic and faith can never really mix. And I'm **not** going up against Fallen Angels for you Harry. Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" While we were talking, I was busy making some potions. If I was going to have to duel a vampire, I want to have as many options as possible.

"These 'Nephalem' girls. They hot?"

I flicked my pencil at his head. "Easy Casanova. One of them killed a Fallen Angel with nothing more than a few well-placed traps and arrows. They'd probably smash your skull if you talk like that to them."

"Well then how about we talk about this duel of yours?"

"What's to talk about? I get one of the Nephalem as my second, they wipe the floor with Ortega, and I sit back and have a beer. End of story."

"Not really."

I sighed and pushed away from the table. Watching my potions wasn't going to make them finish any faster. "Alright then, genius. Give me the cliff-notes on why. I already know I choose the time, place, and weapons."

"No, no. **You** choose the weapons. But **Ortega** gets to choose the time and place."

"Damn. I wanted high-noon at the park."

"And the weapon has to be something you can both use. If he can't, then you'll have to go with your second choice. And you _have_ to fight him."

"Then what the hell's a second for?"

"For if he kills you. Duh."

Great. I'd prefer to have the Fallen Angel-killing warrior fight in my place, but I guess I'll just have to improvise. "Ok then. Next up, the corpse. Considering I was attacked by a Fallen not far from the morgue, would it be accurate to think they did it?"

"Yeah. I'm no expert, but having thousands of years to train would make anyone a serious wizard. Definitely powerful enough to make a plague curse that nasty." Fantastic. I drew the symbol we found on his arm.

"Which secret group do you suppose this mark belongs to?"

"Don't know. Plenty of groups use it, from cults to comic book heroes." Damn. Another dead-end. And I really felt like hitting the hay right now.

"Alright, alright. Last things. I want you to take a look around at Marcone's place. Some of his thugs attacked me, and they might've killed me if the Nephalem hadn't been there. Also, I want you to find out anything on Ortega."

"My life sucks."

"Deal with it. Finally, can you think of anyone that might be able to find the Shroud?"

"Try Ulsharavas. Her rates are reasonable. But be careful around her. She's still one of the _Loa_." Made me wish I had invited Naziba around. But I didn't have much time. I was nearly nodding off already.

"Ok then. I release you to go about your mission, to return within 24 hours once you find something." A cloud of orange light fled out of the skull, heading straight up for the stairs.

Meanwhile, I got ready to summon a _Loa_.

**(-(-)-)**

I gritted my teeth as I heard banging on my front door, and wished I could make things explode with my mind. I hadn't slept much after talking to the _Loa_. She told me where to go alright, but she also mentioned a prophesy. It was why Michael wanted me out of town. It said that if I stayed, I would die. But there was a bit that Michael didn't hear. That part said that if I left, the city and the Knights would die. Lazy stupid cryptic warning. Finally, Bob barely made it back before sunrise. If he was outside his skull, the sun would destroy him like a small puddle of water. He got back badly injured. Anything tough enough to hurt him was very dangerous.

Finally, I got myself out of bed and stomped over to the door, ready to blast whoever was on the other side. But as I opened the door, I found my old mentor, Ebenezer McCoy waiting for me.

"About damn time Hoss." He said. "Rough night?"

"You have no idea." I replied, letting him into my home. Wizards have to be invited in, or we leave behind most of our power. "So what are you here for anyway?"

"I heard about how Ortega challenged you to a duel. You don't need to worry about it. We'll stomp it down."

"Unfortunately, he's got hitmen watching my friends. If I don't duel him, they'll get to work." Ebenezer cursed as he heard that. "So is there anything else?"

"There is, actually. We received word from our allies that a couple of nights ago, several _somethings_ attacked Red Court manors. Whatever they were, they tore through them like nothing. We'd think it was a group, except that one of our scouts caught sight of a single man leaving one of the manors. According to him, it looked like some kind of monk in purple robes and a long staff. We did some more digging, and some people also spotted a white-armoured girl leaving some consecrated ruins, while a stooped witch-doctor left another manor followed by a small army of undead. And he was leading them without even using drums." Well. At least I knew what the Nephalem did when they first got here. Colour me impressed. It sounded as though they found themselves inside the heart of a Red Court lair, and proceeded to kill every last one of them. It sounded like any of them would make short work of Ortega _and_ his goons. "We're trying to find them so we can hire them to help us. But in the meantime, we're on the lookout for a possible warlock."

"What did this person do?"

"Apparently, she was making a ruckus, asking for some made up land or something. When the police arrested her, she used powerful magic to bust her way out and attack the officers. None of them died, thank God, but she still attacked to kill. They described her as an Asian lady, complete with robes and everything." Yikes. Sounds exactly like Li-Ming. She never mentioned this. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to mention them. The White Council took warlocks seriously. If they so much as _suspected_ you of being one, they would try and kill you before you prove them right. And with Ming's power, they'd be even more nervous about her. And all of them together, they might actually win against the entire Council.

I wasn't sure what scared me more. But dammit, if I couldn't trust Ebenezer about this, I couldn't trust anyone.

"I've met the people you're looking for." I told him. "They're warriors from another version of Earth. And I imagine that Li-Ming got into a fight due to cultural differences between our worlds."

Ebenezer gave me a look. "Explain."

"Well, over there, everyone knows that the supernatural is real. Demon attacks are so common that there's an order made just to hunt them down. They're still about medieval in technology, and they're still led by kings. Ming probably just got into a fight because she said something that while normal for her, was weird for us."

Ebenezer just looked troubled. "While I can admit her attack could simply be a misunderstanding, that still doesn't change how powerful she appears to be. And while mortals don't understand the real power we wield, what spells she did use sounded Council-level spells."

"Oh, I'm not denying she's powerful. I got ambushed by gunmen and she created a bubble that slowed down time like it was nothing. All I'm saying is that the Council doesn't need to start a witch-hunt for her. She's got a freaking Arch-Angel as an ally."

Ebenezer hesitated, before sighing in frustration. "All right. I won't tell anyone about her. But I need to meet her to make sure she isn't dangerous."

"No problem. She's living in the church. Along with the other 'great warriors' I might add." He chuckled a bit, realising how close he would've brought the Council to the wrong battle. We had a quick drink, talked about old times, and about the war against the Red Court. Thanks to the Nephalems' attack, they were running scared and giving us an edge. I guess I'd panicked too if some guys showed up in my lair and killed all my guys too. He even promised to protect my friends if I die. Of course, I imagine that the Red Court would be busy getting hit by the Nephalem to bother any of them anymore. But you couldn't be too sure. After having a bit of a laugh as I told him about their attempt at driving, I let him out the door.

And stopped to stare at the horse-drawn cart by the Blue Beetle.

It was huge, and vaguely Asian, with a pointed roof, lot of flowing banners, and what looked like gems inside. This was a thief's dream come true. And at the reins was a wizened old man with a scraggly beard.

"Ah hello." He said as he spotted us with his old voice. "Oh this is very good. I'm afraid I'm a little lost."

"Well sir, I'm afraid that the horse carriage show just left town last week." I spoke automatically. I can't help it. I instantly joke at anyone. Ask my friends.

"Oh darn. My carriage would've won that show. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to find my friends. You see, we were all camping together a few nights before. But when I woke up, they were gone. And I was here." He sighed. "A shame really. I so wanted to ask Ming out for dinner. Perhaps it was my breath."

"Ming? Li-Ming?" I couldn't believe it. Someone else from their world? It was like a mass exodus.

"Oh? You know her? Pretty, isn't she? In fact, she reminds me of the priestess I met back in the Zakarum church. Oh, she was a lovely girl. And such a figure too."

I decided to derail this conversation. "Look, if you're a friend of her, then she and the rest of the Nephalem are staying at Saint Mary of the Angels. It's the biggest church in the city. You can't miss it."

"You're right. Why, I was just passing it last night. But it looked too peaceful. Whenever they enter a church, it always has demons and cultists in it. Still, if what you say is true, then I need to get moving."

"I'll come with you." Ebenezer said to him, moving to his truck. "I want to meet this Li-Ming to see if she's dangerous."

"Oh, she's plenty dangerous. The trick is to make sure you are not her enemy in the first place. Much better for your health." He waited till Ebenezer pulled out, then got his horses following. Drivers stopped to stare at the strange, old-fashioned cart when it passed. I saw a few accidents happen because everyone was too busy watching him. Well as long as they got to the church and didn't get pulled over, I was alright with it.

Except that the Blue Beetle chose today of all days to pack up.

It took me a few minutes of hitting the steering wheel and cursing at it before I realised it wasn't going anywhere today. Dammit. I can't do my detective stuff with a bus. If something big and nasty jumps me I'm not going to have a speedy ride back home. And unless the Nephalem have a 'summon car' or 'fix car' spell, they weren't going to be able to help. I went back inside and called Mike, my mechanic, and told him about the problem. After he said he'll get someone to tow the Beetle over to him, I had a thought about what to do.

On one hand, I _did_ promise that I'd bring along one of the Nephalem when I went out for something important as this. And after last night it wouldn't hurt to have some extra muscle. But on the other hand, taking the bus to them and then to the harbour might take too much time. The Churchmice might move on by then.

Besides, it's not like I'm going to get attacked the very morning after Ursiel.

**(-(-)-)**

"Wait!" I shouted, sprinting after the bus now leaving the bus stop. "Dammit, I said wait!" But the driver didn't seem to hear me. He just kept going, and I was left behind trying to throw up my own stomach. It was going to at least half an hour before the next bus came along, and I didn't want to waste any time waiting. But life apparently hated me, or at least wanted me to get my breath back before heading for uncertain trouble. So I just stood there catching my breath.

"Excuse me, mister." I heard a young boy say as he tugged on my coat. He seemed a bit sickly, like he was meant to be in a hospital or something. "You are Harry Dresden, correct?"

"Maybe." I replied warily. Kids don't just come up to me and ask by name. Something weird was going on.

"I saw a ferocious monster skulking in that alley over there. Is it not your job to deal with such creatures?"

I wanted to sigh and tell him to beat it, but he was right. Besides, my conscious wouldn't let me go if it turned out that there really _was_ a monster of some kind there. He took me by the hand and led me deep into the alleyway. Alarm bells were already ringing.

"Ok kid. Where's this monster?"

"Right here, wizard." The child started chuckling as he changed form. He grew in size as extra limbs formed from nowhere. Pale blue fire started billowing from his stomach. And soon I had a demon glaring at me with four glowing eyes. Actually, it made him look as though he had two faces. "Your body will prove to be a more worthy vessel than this mere child." The demon said with a deep, echoing voice. "I will enjoy making you my puppet."

"Dream on, Two-Face. _Forzare!_" Luckily, I already had my hand wrapped around my blasting rod the moment I entered the alleyway. The demon merely laughed as he faded from view, some kind of invisibility. Whatever. It gave me a chance to escape. I ran straight for the street, hearing scrabbling noises coming up behind me. I was nearly there when part of the ground fell away, leaving me flying over a deep, fiery pit. I had to fight just to scrabble onto the small crumbling ledge. Hell's Bells, this guy was tough. Not everyone could just do something like that so easily. The demon got closer and closer to me, cackling all the while. But before he reached me, I got him with a stray bolt of force, and pulled myself out of the pit. I rushed back over the road, ignoring all the cars tooting at me for nearly getting run over. I looked back quickly, and say the demon rush out of the alleyway.

And get hit by a bus he missed.

Now, despite what TV has told you, getting hit by a several ton steel object moving at about 10 miles per hour is very painful. Most of the time, the bus comes out of it in better shape.

So imagine my surprise when the Demon got right back up and glared at me.

"Oh come on!" I moaned, getting weird looks from people. "That was a direct hit." The demon vanished into thin air, obviously not wanting to press its luck. By now, there was a taxi nearby, waiting for passengers. Good enough for me. "Head on over to Saint Mary of the Angels, as fast as you can." I told the driver, giving him a fright.

If demons were going to gun for me every day, I want some damn back up.

**There we go, we're finally meeting a new threat. In this story, the Denarians aren't alone anymore. Now they've got allies, and fans of Diablo should recognise this guy today. Also, Tyreal's here. After reading Skin Game and learning about Graces, I decided that Tyreal's is back in the High Heavens, getting reborn or something. He's not going to pull it out of nowhere and kick ass with it. It just doesn't fit in with Dresden lore.**

**And as I mentioned, in real life, that Demon would've been killed by the bus. But reality's no fun, so I had him survive. If you can survive in Hell, you can handle getting hit with a bus. And don't worry. Harry will have plenty of enemies that are within his weight-class. You'll just have to wait and see.**


	4. The Remnants of the Black Soulstone

Chapter 4: The Remnants of the Black Soulstone

Li-Ming watched the old man carefully, noting everything about him. The old man, Ebenezer McCoy, made care not to look her in the eye. From what Valla said Dresden told her, Wizards here can gaze into your soul. So he must've decided he didn't want to see what actions made her the lady she was today.

"Look." He said after a while. "I know you're from another place where monsters roam free. And so you need your magic to survive. But the White Council has strict rules against certain types of magic, and you're breaking them." She had just finished explaining her spells to him and what happened since she got here. Apparently, killing people with magic wasn't allowed here. As was altering someone's mind, controlling the flow of time, summoning these 'Outsiders', forcing shapeshifting on others, necromancy, and binding people to your will. She and Naziba were guilty of breaking most of those laws. "And while we're thankful for your assistance against the Red Court, we can't let you keep breaking them. If you agree to stop, then I will 'misplace' my report of any law-breaking."

"Wizard McCoy. I assure you we never meant to break any magic laws. But we don't have them back home. Perhaps you could explain why these laws are so important your council is willing to kill for them." He was frightened by her. He nearly jumped out of his skin when they shook hands. His power made her remember her old master, a crotchety little man that, while strong, was short-sighted. When dealing with demons, one needed all the power they could have. And she could fix so much with her spells. As she thought that, she remembered her first tutor's spellwork for a small desert town. She had meant to solve the town's water crisis, but instead she somehow froze the entire place and its inhabitants solid. She herself died battling… something. She never really learnt what killed her, and her spirit didn't remember either. Most of the Magisters would see her tale as a cautionary one, meant to warn mages of meddling in the natural order of the world. But Ming saw it as something to drive her ever onwards. Maybe if there had been more study on the effects of forced-climate change, the town would still be there. "While I am aware that mages going evil can be a terrifying enemy to the world, it does not seem to justify all these rules your White Council have."

McCoy stared at her without looking at her, a strange and disconcerting thing. His gaze became curious, as though something about her confused him. "Alright then." He said. "As far as I can tell, your magic is completely different to mine. So I guess that would explain why you don't know." He cleared his throat with a cough, causing her to sit more upright. If this Council would be willing to kill her for the slightest infraction, she would at least like to be aware or why. "In our world, magic comes from your very life. You put a part of yourself into anything you use magic on, and that magic affects you back. Killing and Mental Magic are outlawed because they corrupt the user. You are using your very life to do something anathema to it, and so it twists you into something darker. And when you alter someone's mind, a part of them is aware of what you've done and will fight it. Such a struggle will drive them insane, and that rebounds on you."

One of the scrolls they found on their journey came to mind. "Like with King Leoric. His journals showed he was aware that something possessed him, driving him to do horrendous acts. He tried to fight it, but in the end he lost and became a mad king."

"That's a good way to describe it. That is the danger of mind magic."

She didn't quite like the look in his eyes. "I'll have you know that Leoric was not under a spell. He was possessed by Diablo, one of the Great Evils of Hell."

"Ah." He seemed surprised at that. From what Father Forthill told them, it was very difficult for beings to possess someone here against their will. "Well, um… I just…" He coughed again as he got his mind back on track. "Anyway, the biggest danger is that you'll find ways to justify breaking the rules even more. One of the most common ways Warlocks happen is that they use it to get out of homework, or to grab something without paying for it. Then they use it to get the person they love to fall for them, or have people give them money. Then they're forcing themselves on the girl they like, and making her go along with it. And then they usually jump straight to having people kill for them." Interesting. The fact he called it the most _common_ way meant that this was a recurring problem.

"And I suppose Necromancy and altering time cause the same problems?"

"In a way. When you alter time, you run the risk of just making things worse for everyone. Like having the bad guys win or something. And those that can see into the future can be driven mad by paradoxes. And would you really want someone call up your ancestor's bones to fight for them?"

"I would." Naziba said from his corner of the room. He had been staring at McCoy for a while now. "My people find no shame in such a thing. They see it as them helping us even in death."

"Well, most people do have a problem with it."

"So killing, mind-altering, time-altering, and necromancy can cause one to become insane." Ming ticked off her fingers. "What exactly is wrong with shapeshifting and Outsiders?"

"The White Council don't have a problem with you shapeshifting yourself. But casting it on someone else is usually permanent. And even if you have a counterspell, the mind has almost always been altered irreparably."

Naziba understood him. "They have the minds of beasts instead of men, and forget themselves."

"And that's as bad as killing them. And as for the Outsiders, well they desire to destroy everything. And we have to do anything we can to stop them. So anyone caught even so much as discussing them in a manner we find threatening, are killed before they can undo all our work."

"Believe me, _that_ we can all agree on." Even though Adria was finally dead by their hands, her actions could not be undone. Leah was still gone, and now the Great Evils have escaped. For all they knew, they were rampaging around while they were stuck here. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud banging as Dresden came running through the door. He looked very distressed.

"Hoss?" McCoy asked in confusion. He did mention that he was Dresden's mentor when he first met them. "What are you doing here?"

"He agreed to have at least one of us accompany him until we find out why we need his help, especially after than Fallen Angel attack. And I'm guessing someone forgot about that." Ming said as she stood up. Dresden at least had the decency to look guilty.

"I thought I could at least go one day without being attacked. But I nearly got whacked by a weird fallen angel. I mean, his head had two faces."

Two faces. A chill went down her spine, and Naziba looked just as worried. "And did he have four arms, floated about and took on the appearance of a child?"

"You know about it." He wasn't asking them. Ming cursed under her breath before heading for the courtyard, everyone else not far behind her. Father Forthill agreed to let them use it when Haedrig showed up this morning. Everyone else was out there checking their equipment, or training their skills some more. And more importantly, Tyreal was waiting out there.

"We have a serious problem." She nearly shouted as they entered the courtyard. Everyone immediately turned to face her as she grabbed the Book of Demons from their stash. It was a record of all the demons and other monsters they had faced on their adventures. She quickly turned through it as everyone crowded around a table not too far away. Once she found the page, she slammed the book down before Dresden. "Was this the demon you were attacked by?"

"Yeah, that was definitely it." Tyreal took the book from him, looking very worried.

"Belial." His deep voice intoned. "The Lord of Lies is here. And if one Great Evil is in this world, then so too must be the others."

"That's our mission." Korgaroth said. "The Great Evils escaped to this world, where they have grown soft from the lack of demons. They will be easy prey for them."

"Agreed. They are most likely working alongside the Fallen Angels. This does not bode well for anyone."

"Hold on." Dresden interrupted. "I just got attacked by a freaking Lord of Hell? For what?"

"Most likely to possess you Dresden. It is one of their favourite techniques. Gain the power of an enemy, and rob them of their greatest warriors. From now on you are to not go anywhere without one of the Nephalem. Only they can kill a Great Evil now."

Dresden sighed. "Can't we just get the Knights to kill this creep? I kinda don't really want a shadow. I've had enough of that already."

"Dammit Hoss, quit being such a baby." McCoy ordered him. "It's not going to kill you to have a roommate for a few days."

"And from what my mentor told me, when they fought against several Great Evils their success was down to a healthy dose of luck." Ming mentioned. "And they were all at their prime. I rather doubt that the Knights of the Cross could handle them all."

"Not to mention we will need soulstones to contain them." Tyreal added. He had a point. With the Black Soulstone shattered, the Great Evils would only escape again. Fortunately, Tyreal was responsible for creating the original soulstones in the first place. "As much as I hate to say this, until we learn more you should avoid killing them unless your life or another's is at immediate risk. Hopefully, they are only possessing their hosts through fragments of the Black Soulstone." Dresden sighed in defeat. Honestly, she didn't know what he was so worried about. True, they were the most inconspicuous people, but from what they saw as they searched for the 'studio' they were hardly the strangest lot in this city. "If you are truly worried about being in danger then we can have Shen and Haedrig make you some form of protection."

"No." He replied. "I've got a lead on my case, and I want to get to it before it runs off. I'll just have a Nephalem and hope I'm not that unlucky." He pointed to her. "Ming, I want you with me. You stand out the least."

"Very well then." Tyreal said. "The rest of you, I want you to study the notes made on the Great Evils. We should work under the idea that they are all in this city." Tyreal continued giving orders, but Ming and Dresden were already walking away. As they got near the great doors leading out into the city, they started rumbling to reveal a purple-covered cart. At the reins was a very familiar plump woman. Ming smiled.

"Funny how our resident Vecin is the last of our group to arrive in this city. Did you lose your way? Or did you simply miss the fact that we would be whisked to another world?"

"Hardly child." Myriam replied warmly. "I just knew it would be almost impossible to explain this world to you. And for your information I ended up in the middle of Kansas City. Oh those metal carts are so aggravating. They nearly killed my horses many times. And the riders are so rude. But, I am here. And just in time apparently." She smiled at Dresden. "So good to finally meet you Mr Dresden. You are certainly rather handsome. Why, if I didn't know that Ming was with Eirena, I'd try to 'hook' you two up."

"Uh… Thanks, but I'm good." Dresden seemed at a loss for words.

"No you're not. If you were good, then you wouldn't be so upset about Susan's new partner. Relax. He has about as much love as a boulder. You should try asking that nice guardswoman out. She is always there for you."

"As much as I'd enjoy seeing Dresden squirm under your words, we really must be going. But if you finally have any words of advice, now would be a wonderful time to share them."

"Pah. Very well. Ming, beware a tall man with bulging muscles. He'll have trouble understanding the word 'no', and will distract you from your mission. Dresden, don't take your coat. You will only lose it to the thief."

"You mean thieves." Dresden replied as she rode pass. But Myriam merely looked back and chuckled at him. "Wow. Is she always like that?"

"Always." Ming handed him her amulet. Her armour should protect her from most threats, unless Dresden was unlucky enough to meet another Great Evil. "Come on. Put this on instead. We have a carriage to catch."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming."

* * *

"So what's a Vecin?" I asked Ming once we were in the taxi. I partly noticed that Shen had made it to the church, along with some guy with an anvil, but I was a bit preoccupied with getting to the Shroud before it ran off. According to the _Loa_, it was on a boat called _The Etranger_. My plan was to wait for the owners to clear out, and then sneak in to grab the Shroud. Ming would be on lookout, could use her magic to scare them off, and then we get out of there and start dealing with the Lords of Hell springing up.

"The Vecin are a nomadic tribe most well-known for a magical ability called _The Sight_. It allows certain members to see into the future and give warnings, though sometimes Myriam has been forced to avoid telling us the truth to achieve greater victory." She looked almost normal in her cloak. If I didn't know she was a wizard I'd have thought she was just an average shifty lady. Right now though, she looked pretty solemn. Maybe she was thinking about Leah, like Valla had been. "If only we had her along with us before, Leah might still be alive."

Something she said about this 'Sight' got me a bit confused. "How do the Vecin avoid going crazy? We have laws against seeing into the future for a reason."

"So Wizard McCoy mentioned. I'm not too sure. How do Seers work in this world?"

"Dunno. I think they're future-sight is on all the time."

"There you go. _The Sight_ comes to Myriam only when she wants it too. Or when something important is approaching. Since she doesn't have it on all the time, I imagine that if the future changes she won't know until she hears about it." That would explain why the Vecin can change the future willy-nilly like that. Hell's Bells, if the Council learnt about Sanctuary they'd throw a fit. "Now then, I would like to know our destination and our plan of attack. Are we to barge our way through this impenetrable fortress?"

"Uh…no. Actually it's a boat."

"You surely mean a ship." She replied, frowning slightly. Guess she didn't get small things like this.

"No, I mean a boat. As in a small vessel meant to hold at most 4 people."

"…They are keeping such a holy relic hidden on a mere ferry boat? What about protection? The Church would most likely swarm the vessel when they learn of its location. A fortress could last against them for quite some time."

"Except we don't have fortresses anymore. Well, most ancient magic creatures have some fortresses, but regular people have to settle for far less. Besides, it's less conspicuous."

"I am afraid I don't understand. But then again, most of my foes believe they are invincible and can announce themselves with abandon."

"Right then. As you explained, if you were looking for an important Holy relic, the first place you'd check is the massive imposing fortress in the area. So if you knew that, where would you hide?"

I could see her eyes light up as she got it. "Why, you'd hide in the place people would be least likely to look. So that's why they're in the boat. I…never really thought like that before."

"I suppose that demons are all too keen to rush you and your friends."

"That they are." She turned towards the window, settling for observing the city as we went along. It didn't take much longer before we arrived the Harbour. I always thought of it as like the parking lot of an ocean-going Walmart. Far too many boats for my liking. Ming just stared at them in amazement.

"Your world certainly enjoys having plenty of everything, doesn't it?" She said as she saw all the boats, and heading over to a nearby barbeque area. "And this contraption. What does it do?"

"It's a barbeque. We cook things on it." I tugged her gently, but firmly, by the arm. The whole time we've been here so far I've gotten the very strong feeling we were being watched. I thought it might be a member of the Red Court, but it was still too bright for them. They'd get charred to a crisp as this rate. Maybe the thieves have a lookout or something.

Or it could be another Denarian.

"Ok, so here's the plan." I whispered to Ming, who I had made cling to my arm to attract less attention. Hopefully, everyone will mistake us for a couple instead of a detective and his super-powered bodyguard. "Once we find the boat, we'll wait for the thieves to leave, and then I'll sneak in below to find the Shroud. While I'm doing that, you will wait somewhere close by and keep an eye out for if the thieves are coming back."

"And how exactly am I to contact you if they do come back? Wave my arms and squawk like a chicken?"

"Just use your magic to scare them. I'll get the hint, run on out of there, and then we hightail it out before the police come after us." I really wished the Blue Beetle hadn't conked out on me today, but Ming could fend them off for us.

"Your guards are strange if they would aid criminals."

"You're forgetting that we'd be the ones leaving with stolen property. The police work under the assumption that if it looks like something, it'll probably be exactly what it looks like." By now, I had found the _Etranger_. It was a nice little boat, big enough for a good-sized cabin. It was clearly old, but well cared for. Ming and I stood a bit away, watching the water as I listened. It's not really a magical spell. It's just focusing on certain noises.

"Unacceptable." A quiet, female voice said. Her accent was a mixture of British and Spanish, just quiet enough to not be noticeable. "The job entailed more expenses that estimated. I'm raising the price to reflect that, nothing more." There was a pause as the person on the line responded, before she spoke again. "Would you like an invoice for your tax return then? I told you that the quote was merely a guess. It happens." Another pause. "Excellent. As scheduled then." There was a bit of noise as she moved things around, before the phone rang again. I used this chance to get us closer, and see if I could look in through the windows. There was a tall lady wearing a long gown of dark silk. She was listening to the phone before speaking again. "I'm sorry. You have the wrong number." She hung up and dropped the robe. I'm not a peeping tom, this was all professional action. I noted she had some good curves. See? Professionalism. As we watched, she entered a steamy bathroom, closing the door with a snap behind her.

This was our big chance. As far as I could see, there was only one thief in there. I didn't know whether it was Anna Valmont or Francisca Garcia, but as long as she was busy here I could get the Shroud and get out without too much trouble.

"Find somewhere to sit where you can watch the boat." I whispered to Ming. "I'm going in. Remember, keep an eye out for anyone entering the boat."

"I will. And you keep your mind out of the lady's washroom." Ming replied slyly as she walked off to a nearby seat. As she parted, I quickly moved down the gangplank. As I explained to Ming on the way in, while they were the real thieves, we couldn't really ignore the law without getting into trouble. I entered in as stealthily as I could. The stairs didn't creak, and I didn't bang my head against the doorframe. Inside, it wasn't really much. A double bed, a laundry and dryer combo, and a kitchen unit with two fridges.

Wait. Two fridges? I sneaked over and opened them up. The first one had all the normal fridge things. Food, milk, perishables. The second one was fake, a safe hidden inside. I was about to try opening it when I had a thought. The Churchmice got where they were by being smart. Just like with the fortress idea, this was way too obvious. I had a look around the room, mindful of how little time I likely had.

Of course. I lifted the laundry basket, and found the Shroud under a load of washing. It was wrapped tightly, and looked like a folded shirt than anything else, but as soon as I touched it I could feel the power.

"Damn I'm good." I whispered as I grabbed it. And ran right into a gun as I turned around. The gun was a cheap .38, something you'd get cheap and easy. It certainly didn't fit the pretty girl in the dark clothes holding it.

"Damn I'm good." She echoed, smirking at me. I cursed inwardly as I raised my hands. I hadn't even heard her or sensed her. And that cheap gun could still kill me. Where the hell was Ming? "Drop the package. And don't think your friend will be able to help you. She's a bit busy with some horny dude."

I couldn't tell if she meant horny as in horned, or just sexually active. I suddenly remembered Myriam's advice. She already warned Ming about the guy, and according to her I was going to lose my coat to this lady. As I dropped the Shroud, she smiled at me. "Good. Now, that coat looks nice. Hand it over, slowly." She stopped smiling as something meaty slammed against the ground. She turned slightly to try and take a look, only to stop as she found Ming's sword right in her face. A gun may be faster, but it wouldn't take much for Ming to stick her like a pig.

"That sound was a 7 foot man hitting the ground harder than a charging bull." Ming said menacingly. "Unless you want to go through this dingy of yours you will drop the weapon and surrender." Anna Valmont – as it definitely looked like her – dropped the gun and held her hands above her head. I grabbed the Shroud again and was about to leave when the bathroom door slammed into my face and Garcia came out guns blazing. That would've normally worked easily. But if I've learnt anything hanging out with the Nephalem, is that they never play by the rules. The bullets impacted against a shimmering shield, before dropping to the floor. Ming swept out one hand, and small wave of force blew her against the wall. "Now then, where were we?"

"We were about to get out of here." I said, my voice muffled by my broken nose. "Can you make some shackles for these girls? I'm sure the police would love to question them."

"I'm afraid I'm not that good Dresden. But I imagine that they have shackles of their own."

"What the hell are you?" Anna asked softly. I guess she didn't know about magic. That meant she didn't have a clue what kind of monsters would be after her.

"What I am is a tireless force of good, dedicated to stopping the legions of Hell from destroying the world. You, on the other hand, are a lowly maggot that does not care what happens as long as you make some meagre gold. It is people like you that cause Evil to remain to this day."

"Oh great. You're some religious whack-job."

"Actually, she's telling the truth. And several Lords of Hell are after this thing. If they find you, they _will_ kill you."

"And probably rape you, eat you, use you for magic, and then torture your soul. It's what they like doing."

"Not helping." I told her, annoyed. "Look Ms Valmont. Something's already gotten Gaston. If you saw his remains, you'd dump that Shroud and run as fast as you can."

"I'm not some kind of religious nut-job like you and this bitch. You're not going to scare me. There's no such thing as demons."

Of course, that was the moment two monsters came crashing into the boat.

* * *

"Andariel!" Ming shouted as she started backing away. The demoness screeched at her before lunging with her large claw wings. Looking at her, I could believe she was from Hell. She had the whole shebang. Hooved feet, clawed hands, pointed ears and glowing eyes. Her hair stood on end, and she was dressed very skimpily. Her companion was also female, with curves that led to legs that were back-jointed like a lion's. She had green metallic skin, and the customary two pairs of eyes belonging to all Denarians. Most strikingly though, was her long mass of hair that looked like it belonged to a love-child of Medusa and Doctor Octopus. It was a writhing mass of metal strands, stabbing into all available surfaces to support her.

Anna recovered from the shock of the attack, and grabbed the gun from the ground. But Medusa lady's hair sliced through it and nearly got her too. Ming had gone out the door, firing a beam of ice at Andariel. The demoness hissed before rushing after her. The boat shook as they both started fighting, holes appearing everywhere.

"Forget her." Medusa shouted. "Our goal is the Shroud."

"You dare command me, mortal?" Andariel shouted back in rage. "That loathsome relic is **your** goal. Ours is the destruction of these Nephalem." Medusa screeched in anger, before being attacked by Francisca. She must've reloaded while we were talking, because she unloaded another full clip. The Denarian yelled in pain as the bullets smashed against her, before letting loose with a wave of hair. The skewered Francisca, thundering against the bulkhead before the far wall exploded with fire. I could hear Andariel scream in pain above us.

Normally, I'd be getting out of the burning boat with my prize, and let Ming just set the whole thing ablaze. But seeing a woman get hurt riles up my inner Neanderthal. It didn't care that she was a criminal and was willing to kill my partner. She was dead, and that monster did it.

"_Forzare._" I shouted, blasting Medusa with a wave of force. She slammed into the bathroom, cracking the wash basin under the force. But she was up and about, forcing me to create a shield to survive. It didn't last long though. The force behind her was incredible. She slammed me against the wall –one of the few parts of it not burning away – and shattered the shield with her magic. She nearly got me if it wasn't for a stray magic orb crashing against her. Everything in the room flew about for a moment.

This was crazy. We had to get out of here. But as long as the Denarian was here, we couldn't move. I was suddenly struck by inspiration. "Get it out of the fridge!" I shouted at Anna, who was curled up next to Francisca in a daze. "She can't be allowed to get it."

It worked. Medusa started cackling as her hair tore apart the fridges. Once she found the safe, she ripped it free and smashed through the floor of the boat. Great. Not only were we on fire, and frozen, and with large hissing things above, but now we were sinking. The next time a Nephalem started fighting, I was getting back on solid ground. I heard another splash as something else – most likely Andariel – ran for it too.

"Dresden!" Ming shouted down at me. "We must get going. This vessel is sinking!" Anna Valmont forced her way past, but Ming was more worried about me. I quickly had a look around where I last saw the Shroud, but it was gone.

Then I remembered something. Anna was right next to this spot.

"Dammit." I grunted. "She ran off with it." I tried to lift Francisca out, but the boat was sinking too quickly. Unless I got out of there, I would be joining her. Still, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Before I left, I grabbed a memo pad from the bench and the cell phone. Then I hauled myself out of there, and we jumped off the sinking wreckage. Outside, it was chaos. Plenty of stuff was burning, and people were screaming in panic. I nearly stumbled over cracks in the ground, as if something had burst out of there. A few other boats had sunk nearby, and there were a few more cracked areas. Ming and I ran, and tried to think inconspicuous thoughts.

So much for that plan.

* * *

"All in all that could've gone a lot worse." Ming said as Dresden sat next to her on the 'bus'. Poor thing took death worse than she did. But then, in Sanctuary you heard of many that died from attacks of some kind. You get used to it very quickly. Last she heard her home village had been attacked by demons many years ago. "I mean, alright we didn't recover the Shroud. And that thief ran off with it. But we could've died from Andariel or the Fallen Angel. The fact we chased them off is pretty good."

"Didn't you say you killed your version of Satan?" Dresden asked sullenly. "How come you couldn't kill that demoness anyway?"

"When I killed Diablo, I was working with my fellow Nephalem at the time. Even I would balk at the idea of fighting him alone. While I am powerful, the Lords of Hell got where they were by being the strongest beings in Hell. I find that I managed to scare her away to be pretty good. It shows she will be wary of me."

"Great. Now she'll plan so that you never know she's coming until it's too late." Ming sighed. Why did he have to be so negative? They got away with their lives. Against a Great Evil, that's considered a victory. "Still, maybe Valmont will finally get out of this business now that she knows monsters are after her.

"Doubt it. Lyndon would go into demon-infested caves if the payoff was good enough."

Dresden slapped the seat in front of them as he stood up. "Well then it looks like I'm going to have to look for her again. And with Fallen Angels and Demons hunting me too."

"Welcome to my world."

**Yeah. Not much to say about this chapter. I wanted to fit in a sequence to raise the stakes, but I decided to save that for another chapter. The idea that Ming was fighting Andariel alone was pretty fun, as well as showing signs of her spells' aftereffects.**

**For those of you wondering, I sort of imagine that in the setting, fighting the demons is a bit like being on Torment difficulty. That's why you won't see a Nephalem kill a Great Evil alone. They're just too strong.**


End file.
